Opinion ID: 3160112
Heading Depth: 5
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Baker

Text: Although the district judge erred in admitting Agler’s lay opinion testimony about what telemarketers know and intend, and in admitting the Nakamori email and related testimony, the errors were harmless in light of the overwhelming evidence against Baker. The evidence included voice recordings of Baker’s calls with an undercover agent posing as a potential investor in Red Water. In the calls, Baker repeatedly lied. He told the agent that Cinamour had already secured $5.4 million presales contracts to distribute the film in 31 countries, guaranteeing a risk-free and profitable investment. He told the agent that there was already enough revenue from the presale contracts to guarantee a 110 percent return to the investors. He told the agent that investors would receive the 110 percent return in 8 to 10 months and triple their money in 2 years. He told the agent that the film’s promoters and sales personnel would receive no money until the investors had received their money back with a profit, and that none of the fundraisers were receiving commissions. Baker’s victims testified that he made the same statements to them. Baker’s coconspirators testified about his false statements and role in the conspiracy, including his role in including false statements about commissions in the Red Water private placement memorandum. Finally, the jury heard that after the raid, Baker confessed to law-enforcement agents that he had lied in the call with the undercover agent about the presale contracts and the commissions. 76 UNITED STATES V. LLOYD In light of the overwhelming admissible evidence against him, the errors we have found do not require reversing Baker’s conviction. See United States v. Ruiz, 710 F.3d 1077, 1080 n.1 (9th Cir. 2013) (“Finally, since the errors that occurred at trial were isolated, reversal for cumulative error is not warranted.”). Baker’s conviction is affirmed.