Opinion ID: 1434534
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Statements Informing about the Status of the Conspiracy

Text: During an important part of the September 4 conversation, Ali told Rasool: [Weaver's] being a B and I'm so sick of her. I'll be so glad when I won't need her no more. Gonna be asking for half of what the school get. You know what I'm saying? We believe the district court's analysis of the September 4 conversation, and the court's conclusion that it was inadmissible hearsay that was little more than idle gossip comprised of derogatory opinions having no conceivable probative value, was unduly influenced by the fact that Ali referred to Weaver as a B. App. 2-3. However, there is clearly more to the conversation. If Ali had only stated that [Weaver's] being a B and I'm so sick of her, we would agree with the district court. But Ali went on to say: I'll be so glad when I won't need her no more. This statement informs Rasool that Ali was dependent on Weaver for the success of the fraudulent scheme, and Ali is lamenting that dependence. Ali also said about Weaver: Gonna be asking for half of what the school get. This statement informs Rasool that Weaver is requesting a 50% kickback from the rent payments CCP allegedly made to the School. Since Weaver was the director of the ABE program at CCP, it makes sense that Ali would have been dependent on her to make sure that CCP did not discover that the School was a sham site and that CCP continued to make rental payments to the School. Ali was therefore informing Rasool of the current status of the conspiracy when she expressed dissatisfaction with her dependence on Weaver and explained Weaver's request for half of the School's payments. A declarant's statement explaining the current status of the conspiracy is in furtherance of that conspiracy only if the addressee is also a co-conspirator. See Ammar, 714 F.2d at 252 (Statements between conspirators which . . . inform each other of the current status of the conspiracy further the ends of the conspiracy. . . .) (emphasis added); see also Gibbs, 739 F.2d at 846 ( As participants in the scheme, it was important for [the addressees] to be kept abreast of developments to induce their continued participation [in the conspiracy].) (emphasis added). The government argues that Rasool was a co-conspirator. As noted earlier, the district court failed to conduct an evidentiary hearing on Weaver's motion in limine. However, we think it clear that, if the government can prove Rasool's involvement in the conspiracy by a preponderance of the evidence, the portion of the September 4 conversation where Ali apprised Rasool of the status of the conspiracy would be admissible because it would then be in furtherance of the charged conspiracy.