Opinion ID: 339842
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Admission of Cash into Evidence

Text: 15 The Government introduced into evidence slightly more than one-half million dollars in cash seized, pursuant to search warrant, from appellant Lucas' home on the day of his arrest. Appellants claim this to be prejudicial error arguing that the seizure took place nearly one year after the conspiracy terminated and that there was no connection between the cash and the crime charged. We reject this contention. 16 At the time the cash was seized drug paraphernalia was also found. These items, both the cash and instruments, were admissible evidence relevant to Lucas' participation in the conspiracy. Moreover, Government witnesses testified that Lucas owed the core group several hundred thousand dollars at the time of his arrest. As we said in United States v. Tramunti, supra, 513 F.2d at 1105, (t)he possession of large amounts of unexplained cash in connection with evidence of narcotics trafficking on a large scale is similar to the possession of special means, such as tools or apparatus, which is admissible to show the doing of an act requiring those means. That the evidence is obtained by search conducted after the termination of a conspiracy does not preclude admissibility. United States v. Bermudez, supra, 526 F.2d at 95. Moreover, we do not find that the introduction of the physical evidence of the cash was so inflammatory or prejudicial to outweigh its probative value as appellants contend.