Opinion ID: 1199978
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Julio Lorenzo

Text: The government contends that there was ample evidence adduced at trial to demonstrate that Julio knew that the object of the conspiracy was cocaine smuggling and distribution, and points principally to the following evidence as indicia of his knowledge: (1) Julio's encounter and conversation with Ronnie in September 2005 followed by his stewardship of Leerdam until her flight back to the Dominican Republic; (2) Julio's transfer of the $14,000 in cash to Leerdam to deliver to Amauri; (3) Amauri's instruction to Leerdam during the October 2005 trip that she call the Lorenzo residence and ask for Julio; and (4) Julio's false exculpatory statement upon questioning that he had never given Leerdam any money. It is clear, viewing the evidence in the light most favorable to the government, that a reasonable jury could find that a drug-smuggling conspiracy existed and that Leerdam and Amauri knowingly participated in it. The government's argument focuses on various events that purportedly link Julio to this conspiracy. However, the evidence highlighted by the government, when considered in the aggregate, still lacks a critical element  any indication from which a jury could reasonably infer that Julio knew of the nature and specific object of the conspiracy. First, although there is ample evidence demonstrating the existence of the conspiracy, and that Julio was present at and participated in events that furthered the conspiracy, there is insufficient evidence to show that he did so knowingly and with the specific intent to further a cocaine smuggling and distribution conspiracy. With respect to the September trip, there is no evidence in the record as to the contents of either the conversation between Julio and Ronnie or the suitcase that Leerdam was carrying. The government contends that the $14,000 that Julio gave to Leerdam for delivery to the Dominican Republic was proceeds of the conspiracy, supporting an inference that Julio knew of the aims of the conspiracy. However, in light of the absence of any evidence indicating Julio's knowledge of the contents of Leerdam's suitcase, or prior participation in this conspiracy, and his complete lack of participation in the events surrounding the October trip (where it is clear that cocaine was actually smuggled into the country), we cannot say that there are facts sufficient to draw a `logical and convincing connection' between circumstantial evidence of an agreement, and the inference that an agreement was in fact made, Jones, 393 F.3d at 111. No doubt the transfer of $14,000 from Julio to Leerdam is suspicious and, viewed in the light most favorable to the government, indicative of participation in illegal behavior. But such a transfer is consistent with participation in a wide variety of offenses, and in light of the other evidence, is insufficient to prove Julio's intent to participate in the conspiracy charged in the indictment. See Samaria, 239 F.3d at 237 (holding that there was insufficient evidence of defendant's intent to engage in a conspiracy to receive or possess stolen goods despite his presence in a car with boxes containing the goods because the exterior appearance of the boxes was equally consistent with any number of different criminal offenses including the receipt and possession of drugs, illegal weapons, counterfeit currency, or the receipt of legal goods such as drug paraphernalia that would later be employed in a criminal endeavor). The government also asks us to view Amauri's instruction that Leerdam call Julio during the October trip as supporting an inference that Amauri would not have entrusted Julio with the suitcases concealing the narcotics, worth over $250,000, unless Julio had known what was concealed within them and that it was reasonably foreseeable to him that the smuggled narcotic from the Dominican Republic was cocaine. This unfulfilled request for Julio cannot support such a speculative and attenuated inference; Julio's continued dormancy despite Leerdam's request severely undermines the notion that it was critical that Julio specifically be entrusted with such valuable narcotics. Finally, the government relies on the false exculpatory statement made by Julio after his arrest. We have observed that [w]hile false exculpatory statements made to law enforcement officials are circumstantial evidence of a consciousness of guilt and have independent probative force, ... falsehoods told by a defendant in the hope of extricating himself from suspicious circumstances are insufficient proof on which to convict where other evidence of guilt is weak and the evidence before the court is as hospitable to an interpretation consistent with the defendant's innocence as it is to the Government's theory of guilt. United States v. Johnson, 513 F.2d 819, 824 (2d Cir.1975). We find that Julio's statement, while indicative of consciousness of guilt, is insufficient in light of the rest of the evidence against him. It bears emphasis that we recognize that a defendant's knowing agreement to join a conspiracy must, more often than not, be proven through circumstantial evidence, Nusraty, 867 F.2d at 764. We have seen cases where the circumstantial evidence considered in the aggregate demonstrates a pattern of behavior from which a rational jury could infer knowing participation. See, e.g., United States v. Martino, 759 F.2d 998, 1003-04 (2d Cir.1985) (holding that defendant's arrival at a time and place where a heroin transaction was scheduled to occur, where he witnessed an exchange of money for packages of a substance made to resemble heroin, coupled with statements indirectly indicating that he was the intended eventual purchaser of a portion of the heroin, coincidental coming and going with participants in the conspiracy, and a false exculpatory statement upon his arrest at the scene, was sufficient circumstantial evidence to show knowing participation in a conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute heroin). This is not such a case.