Opinion ID: 657206
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Bribery Solicitation

Text: 21 Moss, Kohn and Richardson argue that Moss' solicitation of Jaeger to bribe a witness was not made during the course of the conspiracy. Therefore, they contend that testimony concerning the solicitation was inadmissible hearsay, and that reference to the solicitation should have been stricken from the second superseding indictment as surplusage. 22 Generally, hearsay statements made after a conspiracy has ended are not admissible. See Krulewitch v. United States, 336 U.S. 440, 442-43, 69 S.Ct. 716, 718, 93 L.Ed. 790 (1949). Moreover, a conspiracy has ended when its objectives have been achieved or have been rendered impossible. See Wong Sun v. United States, 371 U.S. 471, 490, 83 S.Ct. 407, 418, 9 L.Ed.2d 441 (1963). However, a nonhearsay statement need not be made in furtherance of a conspiracy to be admissible. Anderson v. United States, 417 U.S. 211, 219, 94 S.Ct. 2253, 2260, 41 L.Ed.2d 20 (1974); Lutwak v. United States, 344 U.S. 604, 618, 73 S.Ct. 481, 489, 97 L.Ed. 593 (1953). 23 Here, Jaeger's testimony that Moss solicited him to offer a bribe to cooperating witness is not hearsay. The testimony was not offered in evidence to prove the truth of the matter asserted, and therefore does not fall within the definition of hearsay. See Fed.R.Evid. 801(c); Martin v. Foltz, 773 F.2d 711, 720 (6th Cir.1985), cert. denied, 478 U.S. 1021, 106 S.Ct. 3336, 92 L.Ed.2d 741 (1986). Rather, the testimony was offered only to establish the fact that the solicitation was made. Accordingly, the testimony was properly admitted. 24 Defendants also contend that the reference to the bribe solicitation should have been stricken from the second superseding indictment pursuant to Fed.R.Crim.P. 7(d). This claim will be reviewed only for an abuse of discretion. See United States v. Kemper, 503 F.2d 327, 329 (6th Cir.1974), cert. denied, 419 U.S. 1124, 95 S.Ct. 810, 42 L.Ed.2d 824 (1975). As noted, defendants contend that the solicitation was not undertaken in furtherance the underlying drug conspiracy. However, this court has noted that if the language in the indictment is information which the government hopes to properly prove at trial, it cannot be considered surplusage no matter how prejudicial it may be (provided, of course, it is legally relevant). United States v. Thomas, 875 F.2d 559, 562 n. 2 (6th Cir.) (citation omitted), cert. denied, 493 U.S. 867, 110 S.Ct. 189, 107 L.Ed.2d 144 (1989). Here, the information in question was proven by the government at trial and was legally relevant. Thus, the district court did not abuse its discretion in refusing to delete the reference to solicitation from the second superseding indictment.