Opinion ID: 539884
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Evidence to support Muelle's CCE conviction.

Text: 57 Muelle contends the government did not produce sufficient evidence to convict him of conducting a CCE. To convict a defendant on a CCE count, the government must show: (1) a predicate offense violating a specified drug law (2) as part of a 'continuing series' of drug violations (3) that occurred while the defendant was acting in concert with five or more people (4) to whom the defendant occupied the position of an organizer or manager and from which series the defendant (5) obtained substantial income or resources. United States v. Markowski, 772 F.2d 358, 360-61 (7th Cir.1985); see 21 U.S.C. Sec. 848. A continuing series of drug violations under the CCE statute means at least three felony violations of the federal narcotics laws, though the defendant need not be convicted of three offenses. Markowski, 772 F.2d at 361-62. 58 Muelle contends the government did not prove that he committed three felony drug offenses, or that he managed or supervised five or more people. According to Muelle, the evidence at trial showed that he was not directly involved in three cocaine deals or that he directly supervised five people. The government's theory at trial, however, was that Sophie and Muelle were partners, with Muelle the senior or managing partner. Thus, says the government, Muelle was responsible for Sophie's cocaine deals with Petersen and Raffanti (each of which violated the federal drug laws). Moreover, since Muelle managed or supervised Sophie, Muelle, through Sophie, managed or supervised the people that Sophie managed or supervised. Cf. United States v. Bond, 847 F.2d 1233, 1236 (7th Cir.1988) (indirect supervision satisfies the CCE statute). 59 Muelle does not dispute the legal sufficiency of the government's theory. Nor does he dispute that Sophie managed or supervised five people or that Sophie conducted numerous cocaine deals with Petersen and Raffanti during the CCE period alleged in the indictment. The question, therefore, is whether there was evidence from which a reasonable jury could impute Sophie's actions to Muelle. 60 There was more than sufficient evidence to convict Muelle. Muelle complains that much of this evidence is from outside the CCE period charged in the indictment. For example, Raffanti testified that in 1981, at a meeting with Sophie and Muelle in Florida, Muelle told Raffanti that he could supply Raffanti with cocaine. In 1985, Petersen and Raffanti negotiated over a $10,000 price dispute directly with Muelle. Contrary to Muelle's argument, this evidence was relevant to show Muelle's connection with Sophie and the cocaine business; if Muelle was dealing cocaine with Sophie and calling the shots in those deals immediately before and after the alleged CCE period, the jury could reasonably infer that Muelle was calling the shots for Sophie's cocaine deals during the alleged period. 61 Even confining ourselves to the evidence from April 1983 to August 1984, there was ample evidence to convict Muelle. In September 1983, Petersen and Raffanti were discussing a 10-kilogram cocaine deal with Sophie; Sophie stated that he had to discuss price and quantity with Muelle. In May 1984, Petersen went to Sophie's apartment in Florida to test a shipment of cocaine. The cocaine was late in arriving, and Sophie kept calling Muelle to see when it is coming. Muelle arrived and talked to Sophie; the cocaine arrived a short time later. Petersen then discussed price and quantity with Muelle and Sophie, and bought 10 kilograms. Terry Hinkle, who drove cocaine from Florida to Chicago, testified that when she wanted her name off the title of a load car, she talked to Muelle, who told her that he would get on [Sophie's] case about transferring title for her. Sophie referred to Muelle as the boss when talking to Hinkle, and Hinkle twice heard Sophie talk to Miguel on a hotel telephone in Chicago during drug deliveries. Another driver testified that he saw Muelle pick up three or four accordion files filled with $100 bills from Sophie's apartment. 62 We have only mentioned examples of the evidence against Muelle; there is more. Perhaps most damaging to Muelle were phone records that showed Muelle making phone calls to Sophie's Chicago hotel rooms, Raffanti's apartment, and Petersen's and Sophie's electronic pagers at times when Sophie was making deliveries in Chicago. A number of these calls coincided with records showing that Raffanti and Petersen had made deposits (which they testified were cocaine) in their safe deposit boxes. It is true that many of these phone records were from dates outside the CCE period alleged in the indictment. But, as we have noted, this evidence was relevant to show Muelle's connection with Sophie's cocaine dealing during the alleged period, especially given all the evidence from that period that connects Muelle and Sophie. In the face of all the evidence against him, Muelle's claim of insufficient evidence borders on being frivolous. 63 Muelle makes one more argument concerning his CCE conviction. According to Muelle, Petersen and Raffanti were the real kingpins of the conspiracy in this case. Muelle was just one of many suppliers Petersen and Raffanti bought cocaine from. Because he was not a manager or supervisor in Petersen's and Raffanti's enterprise, Muelle argues that he could not be convicted for conducting a CCE. This argument is nonsense. A person selling drugs to one enterprise who runs an enterprise of his own meeting all the CCE statute's requirements violates the CCE Act even if he is not a manager or supervisor in the purchasing enterprise. See Bond, 847 F.2d at 1236-37 (conviction for CCE of person similarly situated to Muelle); see also United States v. Pino-Perez, 870 F.2d 1230, 1241 (7th Cir.1989) (Easterbrook, J., dissenting). A manager of one enterprise is no less a manager of that enterprise because he is not a manager of all the other enterprises he deals with. The evidence showed that Muelle managed a continuing criminal enterprise that sold cocaine to Petersen and Raffanti. His CCE conviction was proper. 64