Opinion ID: 518397
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Criminal Liability for Possession or Importation

Text: 39 In assessing whether Nusraty could have been liable for the possession, or the importation, of the drugs, we must note that there is no record evidence, direct or circumstantial, to show that Nusraty ever had dominion or control over the drugs. 40 By the terms of the statute, a conviction for possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute requires that the defendant have had possession--either actual or constructive--of the controlled substance. See, e.g., United States v. Thompson, 700 F.2d 944, 952 (5th Cir.1983); see also Tussa, 816 F.2d at 63. Here, there was no evidence that Nusraty ever had actual possession of heroin. Nor can the government point to any evidence other than Nusraty's involvement in the alleged conspiracy to show that Nusraty exercised constructive possession--i.e.,  'knowingly ha[d] the power and the intention ... to exercise dominion and control' --over the heroin. See United States v. Aiello, 864 F.2d 257, 263 (2d Cir.1988) (quoting United States v. Tribunella, 749 F.2d 104, 111-12 (2d Cir.1984); United States v. Craven, 478 F.2d 1329, 1333 (6th Cir.), cert. denied, 414 U.S. 866, 94 S.Ct. 54, 38 L.Ed.2d 85 (1973)). 41 To convict a defendant of importing a controlled substance, the government must show, inter alia, that the defendant either imported the substance or caused it to be imported. See United States v. Samad, 754 F.2d 1091, 1096 (4th Cir.1984); United States v. Koua Thao, 712 F.2d 369, 371 (8th Cir.1983). There was no evidence here that the appellant himself imported the drugs. Nor was there evidence that the appellant caused the drugs to be imported; to prove this count, it was critical for the government to show a nexus between Nusraty and the charged scheme to import the heroin, and as has been discussed, there was insufficient evidence to prove that Nusraty joined such a scheme.