Opinion ID: 566092
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: The Don Christobal

Text: 13 The Don Christobal incident occurred in August of 1985. United States Customs officials boarded the vessel off Marco Island, Florida and found marijuana. There was testimony that the officers compared the individuals on board with photographs on driver's licenses taken from them, that this information was written down, and that it was later passed on to Deputy Sheriff Tom Storrer. Storrer testified that the information he had received included that Luis Sanchez had been on board the vessel, and that the driver's license for the man named Luis Sanchez on board the vessel matched that of appellant Sanchez. 14 Appellants argue that this evidence is inadmissible under Rule 404(b) because the evidence is insufficient for the jury to reasonably conclude that Luis Sanchez committed the act and because the act was not sufficiently related to the acts charged in the indictment to have any probative value. We disagree. The testimony regarding the circumstances surrounding the identification of the people on board the vessel and the chain of custody of that information is certainly sufficient to allow the jury to reasonably conclude that appellant Sanchez was on that vessel when it was boarded by customs officials. Moreover, this incident occurred on August 25, 1985, just days before the time of the conspiracies charged in the indictment. This evidence is therefore relevant and admissible to show the defendant's ability and experience to execute a fraudulent scheme. Hooshmand, 931 F.2d at 736; see also United States v. Garcia, 880 F.2d 1277, 1278 (11th Cir.1989). In this context, it is also material to show Sanchez' intent, knowledge, and common scheme or plan. 15 Further, although this evidence had no probative value as to the other appellants, its admission was neither more nor less prejudicial than the evidence of various other substantive acts in which they were not personally involved that was introduced throughout the joint trial. The jury's ability to sort out the evidence as to each defendant was amply demonstrated by its acquittal of appellants Garcia and Rodriguez on three of the counts with which they were charged. We find no abuse of discretion by the district court in admitting evidence of the Don Christobal incident. 16