Opinion ID: 354019
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Gent's Participation in the Conspiracy

Text: 27 Despite his contention to the contrary, we conclude that the evidence was sufficient to prove that Gent knowingly and intentionally assumed membership in the conspiracy charged in count one. 28  The gist of the offense of conspiracy . . . is agreement among the conspirators to commit an offense attended by an act of one or more of the conspirators to effect the object of the conspiracy. United States v. Falcone, 311 U.S. 205, 210, 61 S.Ct. 204, 207, 85 L.Ed. 128 (1940). See also United States v. Isaacs, 516 F.2d 409, 410 (5th Cir.), cert. denied, 423 U.S. 936, 96 S.Ct. 295, 46 L.Ed.2d 269 (1975). Since secrecy and concealment are the hallmarks of a conspiracy, the element of agreement is seldom susceptible of direct proof. Thus, the objective and observable acts of the conspirators are relevant and competent circumstantial evidence from which the jury may draw the inference of the existence of the agreement or common purpose. Norfolk Monumental Co., Inc. v. Woodlawn Memorial Gardens, Inc., 394 U.S. 700, 704, 89 S.Ct. 1391, 22 L.Ed.2d 658 (1969); United States v. Lowry, 456 F.2d 341, 344 (5th Cir. 1972); United States v. Warner, 441 F.2d 821, 830 (5th Cir.), cert. denied, 404 U.S. 829, 92 S.Ct. 65, 30 L.Ed.2d 58 (1971). Here the jury was well-justified in finding the existence of the agreement or common purpose: first, to collect money on behalf of client schools and to fail to remit, converting a substantial portion of the money and second, to corrupt persons in positions of public trust with travel, entertainment, gifts, and cash in order to garner favorable treatment of CRCAP and discourage aggressive action on complaints involving the corporation. 29 The government was not compelled to prove that Gent was intimately familiar with each and every detail of the conspiracy. The critical nexus of guilt, the essential nature of the agreement and Gent's connection with it, was amply proven. Blumenthal v. United States, 332 U.S. 539, 557, 68 S.Ct. 248, 92 L.Ed. 154 (1947). The government's showing that Gent had knowledge of the agreement and associated with the plan to promote its success was sufficient. Ingram v. United States, 360 U.S. 672, 678, 79 S.Ct. 1314, 3 L.Ed.2d 1503 (1959). A minimal showing of actual knowing participation is sufficient to sustain a conspiracy conviction challenged on appeal, when the conspiracy has been adequately established by other independent evidence. United States v. Morrow, 537 F.2d 120, 130 (5th Cir. 1976); United States v. McGann, 431 F.2d 1104, 1107 (5th Cir. 1970), cert. denied, 401 U.S. 919, 91 S.Ct. 904, 27 L.Ed.2d 821 (1971). While mere knowledge of a conspiracy is not alone sufficient to hold an alleged coconspirator responsible as a culpable participant, Gent's actions clearly and unmistakably furthered the independently established conspiracy. Thus, on this appellate review, we need find only slight evidence of the guilty nexus between Gent and the conspiracy. United States v. Bass, 562 F.2d 967, 969 (5th Cir. 1977); United States v. Alvarez, 548 F.2d 542, 544 (5th Cir. 1977). However, here there is more than slight evidence. 30 Appellant Gent maintains that, reading the record as a whole, there was insufficient evidence of his knowing participation. (C)onspiracy to commit a particular substantive offense cannot exist without at least the degree of criminal intent necessary for the substantive offense itself. Ingram v. United States, supra at 678, 79 S.Ct. at 1319, quoting, Note, Developments in the Law-Criminal Conspiracy, 72 Harv.L.Rev. 920, 939 (1959). Here the evidence established that Gent had the requisite intent necessary to his conviction under count one and that he aided in the conspiracy. See Morissette v. United States, 342 U.S. 246, 72 S.Ct. 240, 96 L.Ed. 288 (1952); United States v. Gallishaw, 428 F.2d 760 (5th Cir. 1970); Nelson v. United States, 415 F.2d 483 (5th Cir. 1969), cert. denied, 396 U.S. 1060, 90 S.Ct. 751, 24 L.Ed.2d 754 (1970). Indeed, the evidence revealed that Gent was one of the major figures in the conspiracy. Although there was no dispute at trial that Gent's duties caused him to be absent from the CRCAP office much of the time, he was both an officer and a stockholder in the corporation. He had authority to post entries in the CRCAP records, and he signed or co-signed some of the checks. Gent himself admitted at trial that he was familiar with CRCAP's overall operations. 31 Gent was well aware that CRCAP was delinquent in its payments to client schools, and he was responsible for determining which schools were to be paid. Although he testified at trial that he was unaware until May of 1974 that CRCAP had financial problems and that he did not know until August or September of 1974 that incorrect statements were being transmitted to client schools, the jury chose to disbelieve his explanation. We cannot say that the jury's disbelief of Gent was improper. The government established, on cross-examination, that Gent had made a prior inconsistent statement suggesting an earlier awareness of the irregularities, an earlier awareness consistent with earlier notations in his appointment calendar. He also had used CRCAP funds for personal expenses. 32 Gent was greatly involved in CRCAP's relations with government officials. In his appointment calendar he referred to entertainment of O.E. or feds, and recorded expenses for entertaining Miller and Evans. Gent's sales plan for the final quarter of 1973 and the first quarter of 1974 indicated that he and Tate were planning actively to seek a contract from the Office of Education for collection of FISL accounts and that Evans would be their contact person. During this period, Evans traveled to Las Vegas at CRCAP's expense, and accepted two hundred dollars from Tate, in Gent's presence. Foley testified that the business purpose of the trip was to keep (Evans) happy. It was within the proper scope of the jury's function to discount Gent's explanations that he urged Evans to accept the Las Vegas trip only because of their friendship and that the suggestion of obtaining a government contract to collect FISL accounts was considered only briefly and rejected. 33 Gent also misused his relationship with severed co-defendant Miller for a corrupt purpose. Miller declined the invitation to join the Las Vegas excursion because he felt that acceptance of the trip would violate standards of official conduct. Nevertheless, Miller allowed CRCAP to entertain him on numerous occasions, and he endorsed checks payable to the government at the request of Tate, once when Gent was present, knowing that his endorsement exceeded his authority. Miller began to receive complaints about CRCAP as early as March of 1974. In August of 1974, having been assigned to travel to New Mexico to investigate CRCAP's activities, he and Gent discussed the impending investigation, though he knew it was improper to do so. During the New Mexico investigation, Miller discovered cash flow problems in CRCAP operations. Yet, during that investigation, Miller told a University of Albuquerque official that there were no irregularities; this information was influential in the school's subsequent decision to award a contract to CRCAP. Gent and Miller were very close friends. Gent had a great deal of influence with Miller, and he used it. Although he denied his own criminal intent, Miller admitted that he had permitted his relationship with Gent to interfere with the proper conduct of his office and that he had misused his position on behalf of CRCAP. 34 The evidence before the jury established that Gent participated significantly in the conspiracy. Gent took part in the improper conversion of funds owed to client schools. His friendship with Evans and Miller was a vehicle for the corruption of those officials for the benefit of CRCAP. Therefore, it was reasonable and proper for the jury to conclude that Gent possessed the requisite intent to establish his culpability in the conspiracy.