Opinion ID: 487133
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Testimony of Amen's former fiancee

Text: 26 Appellant Amen's former fiancee, Maria Brown Plominski, testified against him at trial, and Amen now contends that her testimony consisted of irrelevant and prejudicial material, the admission of which deprived him of a fair trial. Specifically, Ms. Plominski testified that in late 1981, Amen began taking her out frequently to expensive dinners which cost approximately $100 each. At around the same time, she testified, Amen purchased a blue Corvette with $6,500 in cash that he carried in a paper bag. The Corvette was subsequently registered in Plominski's name, although she only drove it once a week. 27 A trial court has broad discretion in ruling on the admissibility of relevant evidence. United States v. Carson, 702 F.2d 351, 368 (2d Cir.), cert. denied, 462 U.S. 1108, 103 S.Ct. 2456, 2457, 77 L.Ed.2d 1335 (1983). See Fed.R.Evid. 403. We conclude that the district court was within its discretion in admitting evidence of Amen's ownership of the blue Corvette. Agent Franciosa had testified that Amen drove this particular Corvette to the May 11 meeting with DiChiara; thus, evidence that Amen indeed owned the car further tended to prove his presence at that meeting. Although the testimony concerning Amen's possession of a bag full of cash which he used to purchase the car was somewhat gratuitous, the court did not abuse its discretion by admitting Ms. Plominski's testimony about the car. 28 We reach the opposite conclusion with respect to Ms. Plominski's testimony about the expensive dinners. The government contends that this evidence of Amen's unexplained wealth was relevant to prove Amen's illegal dealings relating to the conspiracy. As a general proposition, pre-conspiracy conversations or transactions may be introduced if they are relevant to demonstrate the beginning of a defendant's involvement in the conspiracy charged. See United States v. Del Purgatorio, 411 F.2d 84, 86-87 (2d Cir.1969). Evidence of unexplained wealth may also be introduced if it is probative of a defendant's illegal dealings. See United States v. Cruz, 797 F.2d 90, 95-96 (2d Cir.1986). 29 In the present case, however, the dinners about which Ms. Plominski testified took place several months before Amen's participation in the conspiracy was alleged to have begun. These particular expenditures therefore shed no light on Amen's involvement in the conspiracy, and evidence of the lavish dinners should have been excluded as irrelevant and prejudicial.