Opinion ID: 561304
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Existence of a Single Conspiracy as Alleged in the

Text: Indictment--Variance 104 Initially, Chao and Izquierdo argue that the evidence did not establish their participation in a single overall conspiracy with the remaining defendants as alleged in the indictment. Rather, Chao and Izquierdo assert that the evidence demonstrates that they participated in a conspiracy only with respect to the July 1987 drug delivery. Thus, they assert there was an improper variance between the proof offered at trial and the allegations in the indictment that they participated in an ongoing narcotics importation and distribution conspiracy that took place from October 1986 to July 1987. 105 In United States v. Briscoe, 896 F.2d 1476, 1505 (7th Cir.1990), we reiterated the various elements necessary to establish a single conspiracy set forth in United States v. Varelli, 407 F.2d 735, 742 (7th Cir.1969): 106  'Various people knowingly joining together in furtherance of a common design or purpose constitute a single conspiracy. While the conspiracy may have a small number of co-conspirators, other parties who knowingly participate with these co-conspirators and others to achieve a common goal may be members of an overall conspiracy. 107  'In essence, the question is what is the nature of the agreement. If there is one overall agreement among the various parties to perform different functions in order to carry out the objectives of the conspiracy, the agreement among all parties constitutes a single conspiracy.'  108 Briscoe, 896 F.2d at 1505 (quoting Varelli, 407 F.2d at 742). As we emphasized in United States v. Paiz, 905 F.2d 1014, 1020 (7th Cir.1990): 109 A single conspiracy exists '[i]f there is one overall agreement among the various parties to perform different functions in order to carry out the objectives of the conspiracy. ' [U.S. v.] Sababu, 891 F.2d [1308] 1322 [ (7th Cir.1989) ] (quoting United States v. Varelli, 407 F.2d 735, 742 (7th Cir.1969)). '[Multiple] conspiracies exist when each of the conspirators' agreements has its own end, and each constitutes an end in itself.' Id. (citing Blumenthal v. United States, 332 U.S. 539, 558-59, 68 S.Ct. 248, 257-58, 92 L.Ed. 154 (1947)). 110 Paiz, 905 F.2d at 1020. As we observed in Briscoe, 896 F.2d at 1507: 111 It is well settled that a single conspiracy may consist of 'a small core of people with whom other conspirators knowingly participate to achieve the common purpose of the conspiracy.' United States v. Noble, 754 F.2d 1324, 1329 (7th Cir.), cert. denied, 474 U.S. 818, 106 S.Ct. 63, 88 L.Ed.2d 51 (1985). It is equally well established that the parties involved in a single conspiracy need not know one another or participate in every aspect of the conspiracy, id. at 1329.... In any case, as long as the evidence demonstrates that the 'coconspirators ... knowingly embraced a common criminal objective, ' this is sufficient to establish the existence of a single overall conspiracy among the coconspirators. 112 (Quoting United States v. Boucher, 796 F.2d 972, 975 (7th Cir.1986)). Although we scrutinize the conspiratorial agreement in our determination of whether the facts support a conclusion of single or multiple conspiracies, we realize the limited scope of our review of the jury's determination of this issue: 113 In performing a variance review we do not comb the evidence de novo, as the appellants might like. Our review is second-hand. The jury gets first crack at deciding 'whether there is one conspiracy or several when the possibility of a variance appears.' United States v. Percival, 756 F.2d 600, 609 (7th Cir.1985). This is so because a question of variance is a question of fact, which is something especially within the jury's realm of expertise.... At this stage the question for us simply is whether the evidence is sufficient to support the jury's determination. We must view the proof at trial in the light most favorable to the prosecution, and we must uphold the jury's single conspiracy determination if any rational trier of fact could have found beyond a reasonable doubt the one conspiracy. 'We give deference to the jury's weighing of the evidence and its drawing of reasonable inferences.' [United States v. Sababu, 891 F.2d 1308, 1322 (7th Cir.1989) ]. This deference is significant: Given the nature of conspiracies, juries often must infer their existence and scope from circumstantial evidence and 'the reasonable inferences drawn therefrom.'  114 Paiz, 905 F.2d at 1019 (quoting United States v. Whaley, 830 F.2d 1469, 1473 (7th Cir.1987), cert. denied, 486 U.S. 1009, 108 S.Ct. 1738, 100 L.Ed.2d 202 (1988)) (footnote and citations omitted) (emphasis added). 115 In this case a core group of Miami-based conspirators led by Manuel Angel Tellechea, Alcides Cruz and Roberto Ramirez imported cocaine from Honduras to Miami. Ramirez obtained cocaine for the conspiracy, while Tellechea and Cruz supervised the transportation of drugs from Columbia to Honduras and then to Miami. Also involved in the conspiracy's importation operation were Julio Ortiz and Luis Gonzalez, who managed the conspiracy's Miami import business at different times during 1987, Angel Amejeiras, who performed a variety of tasks in assisting the conspiracy's Miami operation; Rafael Izquierdo, who worked for Ramirez and was involved in the July 1987 cocaine transportation operation; Vicente Chao, who received the July 1987 cocaine shipment in Chicago; Jesus Ortiz, who handled the cocaine shipments in Honduras; and Miguel Garin and Manuel Garcia, Hondurans who played small roles in the conspiracy's Honduran operations. The conspiracy's New York-based domestic distribution network was overseen by Alvaro Quintero and utilized Jose Alexander Pena and Cesar Tobon as couriers. Roberto Gonzalez received shipments that Pena and Tobon delivered from Miami to New York and within the New York area. Both the importation and domestic distribution branches were active from August 1986 to July 1987, although there was a brief cessation of operations following the Honduran military's interception of a plane containing a shipment of the conspiracy's cocaine in October 1986. Because we view an ongoing drug conspiracy involving core members who buy and sell to various suppliers and dealers who may change over time--as a single conspiracy rather than a series of smaller conspiracies, United States v. Sophie, 900 F.2d 1064, 1081 (7th Cir.1990), and because parties involved in a single conspiracy need not ... participate in every aspect of the conspiracy, Briscoe, 896 F.2d at 1507, it is immaterial whether Chao or Izquierdo were involved in cocaine transactions with other members of the ongoing conspiracy prior to July 1987. When we view the evidence in a light most favorable to the prosecution, it is clear that a rational trier of fact could and did find beyond a reasonable doubt a single conspiracy based upon Izquierdo and Chao's dealings with the core group of importers and distributors in the ongoing conspiracy during July 1987. 116