Opinion ID: 2827101
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Hobbs Act Charges

Text: The Hobbs Act provides, in relevant part: Whoever in any way or degree obstructs, delays, or affects commerce or the movement of any article or commodity in commerce, by robbery or extortion or attempts or conspires so to do, or commits or threatens physical violence to any person or property in furtherance of a plan or purpose to do anything in violation of this section shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than twenty years, or both. 18 U.S.C. § 1951(a). To prevail on a Hobbs Act charge, the Government must prove: “(1) interference with interstate commerce (2) in the course of a substantive criminal act.” United States v. Ostrander, 411 F.3d 684, 691 (6th Cir. 2005). As to the first element, “[i]f the victim of the robbery or violence is a business entity, the effect on interstate commerce need only be de minimis.” Ostrander, 411 F.3d at 691 (6th Cir. 2005) (citing United States v. Smith, 182 F.3d 452, 456 (6th Cir. 1999)). However, “when the Government seeks to satisfy the [Hobbs] Act’s jurisdictional nexus by showing a connection between an individual victim and a business engaged in interstate commerce, that connection must be a substantial one—not one that is fortuitous or speculative.” United States v. Wang, 222 F.3d 234, 239–40 (6th Cir. 2000); see also United States v. Turner, 272 F.3d 380 (6th Cir. 2001). The Hobbs Act is meant to be construed broadly, to the full extent of Congress’s Commerce Clause power. See Stirone v. United States, 361 U.S. 212, 215 (1960). Accordingly, even “illegal commerce counts as commerce for Hobbs Act purposes.” Ostrander, 411 F.3d at 692 (citations omitted). - 10 - No. 13-5703, USA v. Lanier The Ostrander case is instructive. There, the defendants argued that the government was required to show a substantial nexus with interstate commerce pursuant to Wang because the victim had acted as a private individual, buying drugs for his own purposes. 411 F.3d at 691. This court distinguished the Wang case on the ground that the victim in Ostrander “was a drug dealer; that was his business, and indeed he was the business.” Id. Further, the government had offered evidence that the drugs that the victim sold had originated in Latin America and therefore had to have gone through interstate commerce to get to the victim, and that the robbery and murder obviously reduced the amount of drugs the victim could buy and sell in interstate commerce. Id. at 692; see also United States v. Bailey, 227 F.3d 792, 798 (7th Cir. 2000) (for purposes of the Hobbs Act, “robbery of cocaine dealers generally has an effect on commerce”). Lanier was charged, in part, with three conspiracies to commit Hobbs Act robberies. Markeith Davis and Ryan McGuire were active drug dealers, who had obtained drugs that had to go through interstate commerce. In fact, the conspirators intended to rob them because of their drug dealing. Because Davis and McGuire were engaged in the drug dealing business at the time of the robberies, the Wang private individual exception does not apply. Likewise, Carlos Rogan had been a drug dealer prior to his incarceration, and the conspirators sought to rob Angela Rogan because she possessed proceeds from drug sales. The nexus element as to this final robbery is further satisfied by evidence that Angela Rogan was in the process of establishing two businesses at the time of the robbery. Thus, the conspirators’ objectives satisfy the de minimis interstate nexus requirement. See Ostrander, 411 F.3d at 692. - 11 - No. 13-5703, USA v. Lanier In fact, here, the conspirators actually impeded the victims’ businesses (drug dealing, or otherwise). The conspirators stole new product that Davis intended to sell, as well as proceeds that McGuire intended to use for further drug purchases. In addition, Angela Rogan explained that, as a result of the Briarwick Drive robbery, neither of her businesses was able to operate. For these reasons, the Government carried its burden with respect to proof of the interstate-nexus requirement.