Opinion ID: 445690
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Travel Act Violations.

Text: 23 The Travel Act, 18 U.S.C. Sec. 1952(a)(1982), provides as follows: 24 Whoever travels in interstate or foreign commerce or uses any facility in interstate or foreign commerce, including the mail, with intent to-- 25 (1) distribute the proceeds of any unlawful activity; or 26 (2) commit any crime of violence to further any unlawful activity; or 27 (3) otherwise promote, manage, establish, carry on, or facilitate the promotion, management, establishment, or carrying on, of any unlawful activity, 28 and thereafter performs or attempts to perform any of the acts specified in subparagraphs (1), (2), and (3), shall be fined not more than $10,000 or imprisoned for not more than five years, or both. 29 The jury found that Becton violated this statute on two occasions, relating to his two trips to Fort Lauderdale in January 1980. He argues that the evidence does not support the verdict because the government failed to introduce direct evidence that he committed or attempted to commit some particular act in furtherance of the unlawful activity after he arrived in Florida. 30 With regard to the first trip in January 1980, the evidence shows that Becton procured a house in Fort Lauderdale and directed Nathaniel Yancy to accompany him from Missouri to Florida for the stated purpose of acquiring marijuana. During Becton's stay in Florida, Yancy and others distributed over 7,000 pounds of marijuana from the house in Fort Lauderdale. We must consider this evidence in the light most favorable to the verdict, accepting all reasonable inferences which tend to support that verdict. United States v. Wilkerson, 691 F.2d 425, 427 (8th Cir.1982); United States v. Taylor, 599 F.2d 832, 837-38 (8th Cir.1979). We conclude that the evidence adequately supported the jury's verdict as to Count III. 31 Turning to the second Travel Act violation (Count IV), we observe that the evidence differs in one significant respect: neither Becton nor anyone in his entourage actually acquired any marijuana during the second trip to Florida in January of 1980. The record only shows that Becton travelled to Florida with the intent to acquire marijuana. Intent alone does not satisfy the requirements of the Travel Act. We agree with Becton that the government failed to prove that he performed or attempted to perform some act in furtherance of his illegal activity after his arrival in Florida. Accordingly, we vacate Count IV of the conviction and remand the case to the trial court for an appropriate adjustment of the sentence. 32