Opinion ID: 667507
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Nathan Holloway

Text: 109
110 Holloway argues that the evidence was not sufficient to demonstrate his participation in the conspiracy. The government cites the following evidence in response: 111 (1) Tim Eastern testified that he arranged for Holloway to deliver one kilogram of Sims' cocaine to Errol Jackson in the Summer of 1988 (Tr. 123-25); he learned later from both Holloway and Sims that Holloway continued to deliver cocaine to Jackson after that. Tr. 125-26; see also Tr. 169-70. Phone records suggest contacts between Holloway and Jackson, as well as between Holloway, Sims, Eastern and other members of the conspiracy beginning in 1987 and continuing through September of 1989. Tr. 951, 952-54, 958-60, 962-65, 967; Gov.Ex. 516-17, 525A, 536-39; 547-54; 556-62. 112 (2) Ann Love testified that in August 1988, when she and Tooter arrived in Milwaukee with a suitcase full of cocaine, Holloway and Eastern met her at the bus station, and then Holloway drove her to his grandparents' house, took possession of the cocaine, drove her to a hotel, checked her in under his name and paid for the room, and returned the next day with money for her and Tooter to fly back to California. Tr. 359-65. Eastern corroborated this account, adding that he was present at the Holloway home when Love's suitcase was opened, revealing the cocaine inside. Tr. 133-35; see also Tr. 924-25; Gov.Ex. 317. 113 We find this evidence more than sufficient to demonstrate an active role in the conspiracy. The fact that Holloway knowingly delivered kilogram quantities of cocaine to Jackson on Sims' behalf on multiple occasions and coordinated Ann Love's delivery of a multi-kilogram shipment from Milwaukee amply demonstrate his awareness of the nature of the conspiracy, his intent to join the conspiratorial agreement, and his affirmative efforts in cooperation with other coconspirators to carry on the affairs of the conspiracy. See United States v. Morrison, 946 F.2d 484, 497 (7th Cir.1991) (evidence that defendant, inter alia, worked as a courier and was present when shipment of cocaine was unloaded sufficient to establish his agreement to distribute cocaine), cert. denied, 113 S.Ct. 826 (1992). We therefore affirm Holloway's conviction on Count One of the second superseding indictment. 114
115 This charge rests upon Ann Love's delivery of cocaine to Holloway as described immediately above. Holloway argues that the evidence is insufficient to demonstrate his involvement with this shipment of cocaine. In addition to the conduct outlined above, the government notes that Errol Jackson, a kilogram customer of Sims and Holloway, called Holloway three times on September 2, 1988 and once more the following day; a call was also placed on September 2, 1988 from a phone associated with Sims to Holloway's residence. Tr. 951, 963; Gov.Ex. 516, 550. 116 In view of the testimony of Ann Love and Tim Eastern, we have no doubt that the jury could reasonably conclude that Holloway came into possession of this shipment of cocaine. The phone calls are consistent with the government's theory, although for the reasons we have articulated earlier, they do not shed much light on what Holloway may have been thinking, saying, or doing with respect to this shipment of cocaine. But see United States v. Marks, supra, 816 F.2d at 1211-12. Nonetheless, by Love's account, Holloway not only picked her up with the cocaine shipment, but took it from her when they arrived at his home and delivered the payment to her on the following day. We therefore affirm Holloway's conviction on Count Four of the second superseding indictment. 117
118 During the course of its investigation, the government monitored two phone calls between an informant, Gerry McCoy, and Holloway. According to the government, the purpose of the calls was to find out whom Holloway would contact as his supplier of cocaine. Phone records indicated that after both of the calls, Holloway paged Sims at his Los Angeles beeper. Tr. 940-41. No narcotics transaction was ever consummated as a result of these calls. The government did not call McCoy as a witness, although the recordings of the phone calls and the records of the (purported) followup calls that Holloway made to Sims' beeper were introduced at trial. Tr. 938-40, 952-54; Gov.Ex. 304, 304A, 304B, 525A. Holloway contends that the district court erred in refusing his request for a missing witness instruction regarding McCoy. 119 A missing witness instruction requires a showing that the witness is peculiarly within the power of the government and has testimony relevant to the issues in the case. United States v. Cochran, 955 F.2d 1116, 1123 (7th Cir.), cert. denied, 113 S.Ct. 460 (1992); United States v. Romo, 914 F.2d 889, 893-94 (7th Cir.1990), cert. denied, 498 U.S. 1122, 111 S.Ct. 1078 (1991). As the government points out, Holloway has made no showing that McCoy was unavailable to him, e.g., that he could not have subpoenaed McCoy or that the government refused to cooperate in producing him. Holloway's failure to make such a showing disposes of this issue. Id. Moreover, even if we were to indulge Holloway with the assumption that the failure to give the instruction was erroneous, he has not offered us any compelling reason to believe that the error was not harmless. 120
121 Holloway also argues that the phone conversations between himself and McCoy should not have been admitted in the first place. He maintains that an objective analysis of the content of the calls reveals that they were not related to drug trafficking; indeed, his theory at trial was that McCoy wanted him to locate some sportswear that he was interested in and that Holloway had purchased from Milton Sims in the past. Tr. 1319, 1335. 122 Our review of the tape and transcripts persuades us that the two conversations could be construed to concern a prospective narcotics transaction. Note the following exchange, for example: 123 McCoy: So, what's up, ya know. You don't know. 124 Holloway: I don't know. My homey's got his pager cut off right now. 125 McCoy: Oh. 126 Holloway: But, I can understand that, though. But, I'm gonna get with you, don't worry. 127 McCoy: Okay. 128 Gov.Ex. 304, 304B. The absence of any express reference to drugs is not at all unusual and does not detract from the relevance of the tapes. Particularly in light of the phone calls Holloway placed to Sims immediately after these conversations, the jury could reasonably have construed them as confirmation of Holloway's participation in the conspiracy.