Opinion ID: 432099
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: sufficiency of the evidence

Text: 15 Appellant Cannington contends that the evidence was insufficient to support his conviction on Count II for conspiring to possess with intent to distribute and distributing marijuana. Appellant Stankowitz challenges the sufficiency of the evidence supporting his conviction on each of the four counts. Upon a thorough review of the record as to each appellant, we find that the evidence was sufficient to convict Cannington and Stankowitz on each challenged count.
16 Cannington concedes that the evidence was sufficient to support his convictions for conspiring to import and importing marijuana. He maintains, however, that the only evidence which demonstrates his participation in a conspiracy to distribute is his presence and association with others who were involved in planning marijuana distribution. Contrary to Cannington's assertions, we find the record replete with evidence of Cannington's direct participation in the distribution conspiracy. 10 17 The conspiracy to distribute is evidenced by the conspirators' acknowledgement that they would not receive their money until after the marijuana was sold. Cannington's role in the organization was to arrange for buying and loading the marijuana and for its sale after it was stored. Furthermore, if Cannington put up the front money for the purchase of the marijuana, the outfitting of the STACEY LAMAR, and financed Farmer's trip to Colombia to restore radio communication with the boat, the jury could easily infer that he expected to recoup his investment from the marijuana's sale in the United States. 18 Cannington further implicated himself in the distribution scheme through his response to Eduardo's message. Upon hearing that Eduardo had urged that Cannington, rather than Buddy, control the distribution, Cannington did not deny the distribution plan. To the contrary, his explanation that Buddy, not he, was controlling the distribution is a clear admission of his participation in and knowledge of the conspiracy to distribute.B. Stankowitz 19 Stankowitz challenges the sufficiency of the evidence supporting his convictions on both counts of conspiracy and on both substantive offenses. The thrust of his argument is that while he may have associated with the co-conspirators, there was no evidence presented that he joined the conspiracy. Stankowitz's argument ignores the factual record. 20 During the time of the charged conspiracies, Stankowitz was not a resident of Baldwin County, Alabama, but was living in motels in Gulf Shores and Biloxi. From this the jury could infer that he had some particular reason to be in the area. He attended the meetings of the co-conspirators, including the emergency meeting to discuss police surveillance and whether to continue with the operation. Although association alone will not support an inference of conspiracy, association with co-conspirators may be considered as a factor. United States v. Cole, 704 F.2d 554, 557 (11th Cir.1983). 21 Stankowitz's activities were not, however, limited to simple association. On two occasions, he offered to serve or actually served as a decoy to divert the attention of the police. When appellants and the other co-conspirators realized that the deputy sheriff was surveilling them at the airport, Stankowitz offered to take the sheriff on a wild goose chase. Stankowitz and Cannington subsequently complied with the suggestion that they move their base of operations to divert police attention from Baldwin County. This ploy was intended to and did further the conspiracy to import by helping it to escape detection. This was certainly sufficient evidence to support Stankowitz's conviction for the conspiracy to import (Count IV). 11 22 The same evidence supporting appellant Cannington's conviction of conspiracy to distribute also supports Stankowitz's conviction for the same offense (Count II). The distribution plan called for final pay-off from the proceeds of the marijuana's sale in which Stankowitz too would have shared. Reinforcing that conclusion is Cannington's statement that he could not control the distribution because Buddy had put up the money and therefore controlled its resale. 23 Stankowitz's role as the ultimate financial backer is also enough to support his substantive distribution conviction (Count I). The jury could rely upon Farmer's testimony that Buddy had put up the money to conclude that he had aided and abetted the possession of the marijuana for its ultimate distribution. Since Cannington's assigned role was to take the marijuana after it was stored, the jury could have concluded that Stankowitz's position as banker made him the mastermind of the operation, who aided and abetted the distribution through Cannington, with Cannington serving as Stankowitz's lieutenant. See Nye & Nissen v. United States, 336 U.S. 613, 619, 69 S.Ct. 766, 770, 93 L.Ed. 919 (1949); United States v. Raffone, 693 F.2d 1343, 1346 (11th Cir.1982), cert. denied, --- U.S. ----, 103 S.Ct. 2094, 77 L.Ed.2d 303 (1983). Alternatively, the same evidence could support the conclusion that Stankowitz, operating through his lieutenant, had constructively possessed the marijuana. 12 United States v. Raffone, 693 F.2d at 1346; United States v. Gloria, 494 F.2d 477, 482 (5th Cir.), cert. denied, 419 U.S. 995, 95 S.Ct. 306, 42 L.Ed.2d 267 (1974).