Opinion ID: 203469
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Sufficiency claims

Text: We first address the appellants' sufficiency claims, examining each in turn. Because both Cruz and Reyes moved for a judgment of acquittal on sufficiency grounds, our review of these claims is de novo. See United States v. Jimené-Torres, 435 F.3d 3, 8 (1st Cir.2006). In assessing sufficiency, we examine the evidence, both direct and circumstantial, in the light most favorable to the prosecution and decide whether that evidence, including all plausible inferences drawn therefrom, would allow a rational factfinder to conclude beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant committed the charged crime. United States v. Fenton, 367 F.3d 14, 18 (1st Cir.2004). When examining the evidence, we keep in mind that [c]redibility issues must be resolved in favor of the verdict. United States v. Perez-Ruiz, 353 F.3d 1, 7 (1st Cir.2003). Cruz argues that the evidence was insufficient to show either that he conspired to distribute drugs or to possess a firearm. Our inquiry is thus focused on whether a rational factfinder could have found that he was guilty of conspiring to distribute drugs near a housing project and of conspiring to use, carry, or possess a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. [3] To prove a conspiracy existed, the government must prove beyond a reasonable doubt: (1) that an agreement existed to commit the particular crime; (2) that the defendant knew of the agreement; and (3) that he voluntarily participated in it. United States v. Gomez, 255 F.3d 31, 35 (1st Cir.2001). The conspiratorial agreement may be express or tacit and may be proved by direct or circumstantial evidence. Id. (quoting United States v. Sepulveda, 15 F.3d 1161, 1173 (1st Cir. 1993) (internal quotation marks omitted)). Cruz's sufficiency argument is straightforward. He contends that the government failed to introduce any evidence, whether direct or circumstantial, showing that he conspired to deal drugs or that he used, carried, or possessed a firearm  much less that he conspired to use, carry, or possess one in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. He likens the government's prosecution of him to a witch hunt in which he was targeted merely because he associated with or was friends with some drug dealers. This association, in Cruz's view, is the only thing the government proved at trial and, citing established authority, he argues that associating with conspirators is not enough to support a conviction for conspiracy. See e.g., United States v. Nelson-Rodriguez, 319 F.3d 12, 28 (1st Cir.2003) (`Mere association' with the conspirators ... will not, standing alone, be sufficient for conviction.) (citing United States v. Gomez-Pabon, 911 F.2d 847, 853 (1st Cir.1990)). The record does not support Cruz's claim of innocence. The government introduced a videotape of a meeting of armed conspirators at which Cruz was present, supporting an inference that he was more than a bystander. See United States v. Llinas, 373 F.3d 26, 31 (1st Cir. 2004) (noting that defendant's close association with other conspirators is a relevant factor for the jury to consider). But there was much more. Additional evidence came in the form of testimony from a government informant and two cooperating witnesses. These witnesses detailed the drug distribution network operating within the housing project. They testified that Orlando Malpica was a drug kingpin who controlled all the drug points in the housing project and that drug point owners had to seek permission from Malpica to operate a drug point and would pay him rent for this privilege. In addition to this general testimony about Malpica's operation, prosecution witnesses testified specifically about Cruz's role in the operation. One cooperating witness who lived with Cruz during the alleged conspiracy period  and who happened to be Malpica's niece  testified that Cruz was a drug point owner who sold marijuana and crack, that he paid rent to Malpica in the form of money and drugs, that he smuggled rent to Malpica when Malpica was in prison, and that he and another point owner asked her to run drugs for them. This testimony about Cruz's role within the distribution network was corroborated by two other government witnesses. These witnesses testified that Cruz operated a drug point; paid rent to Malpica; sold various drugs including marijuana, cocaine, and crack; employed others to sell drugs for him; and was seen often with Trujillo  the drug point owner who had replaced Malpica as the conspiracy leader when Malpica went to prison. Prosecution witnesses also testified generally about the use of firearms within the project and specifically  based on personal observation  about Cruz's use of a firearm. They testified that conspiracy members used firearms to protect drug points from being taken over by out-of-project gangs; that only members of the Malpica-Trujillo conspiracy could carry firearms at the project; that while Cruz was a drug point owner he possessed an automatic firearm and carried it with him while at the housing project; and that drug points in the housing project were located within 1000 feet of two public schools. Based on this evidence, a rational jury could have found beyond a reasonable doubt that Cruz was guilty on all three counts charged. That the government did not present physical evidence that Cruz dealt drugs or possessed a firearm is not dispositive  it did not need to do so in order to secure a conviction. See United States v. Magallanez, 408 F.3d 672, 681 (10th Cir.2005) (Lack of physical evidence does not render the evidence that is presented insufficient.) (citation omitted); see also United States v. DeCologero, 530 F.3d 36, 65 (1st Cir.2008) (noting that evidence may be sufficient to convict even if it is entirely circumstantial) (quoting United States v. Wight, 968 F.2d 1393, 1395 (1st Cir.1992)). The direct and circumstantial evidence offered by the government was sufficient. We now turn to Reyes's sufficiency claim. Reyes's argument is that the evidence presented was at variance with the allegations contained in the indictment. See United States v. Soto-Beníquez, 356 F.3d 1, 18 & n. 1 (1st Cir.2003). He argues that while the record may contain evidence sufficient to link him to a drug conspiracy, it does not contain evidence sufficient to link him to the single drug conspiracy charged, namely, the Malpica-Trujillo conspiracy. He thus could not have been involved in the single conspiracy charged, he asserts, because a prosecution witness testified Reyes had a falling out with one of the conspiracy's leaders Alex Trujillo. This witness testified that although Trujillo and Reyes were inseparable at one point, and in fact lived together for a time, they eventually had a falling out, and from that point on there were always problems between them. Reyes appears to suggest that this testimony was enough to render the evidence presented of his involvement in the Malpica-Trujillo conspiracy insufficient to convict. This argument must be rejected, because the government adduced evidence sufficient to convict Reyes of the conspiracy charged. See Soto-Beníquez, 356 F.3d at 18 & n. 1 (declining to reach the variance argument because sufficient evidence supported jury's finding of a single conspiracy). When determining whether the proof suffices to establish a single, overarching conspiracy, we look to the totality of the circumstances. Id. at 19. This entails considering factors such as: (1) the existence of a common purpose, such as selling drugs for profit, (2) the interdependency of various elements in the plan, such as whether the success of an individual's own drug transactions depends on the health and success of the drug trafficking network that supplies him, and (3) the degree of overlap among the participants. Id. In conducting our sufficiency analysis, we remain aware that the government may provide evidence sufficient to convict without showing that: (1) each conspirator knew of or had contact with all other members; (2) each conspirator knew of all the details of the conspiracy or participated in every act in furtherance of it; or (3) the conspiratorial cast of characters remained intact throughout the duration of the entire enterprise. Id. Here, as described above, the government presented evidence of a single overarching drug distribution conspiracy led by Orlando Malpica and Alex Trujillo. The distribution network was hierarchical and its success depended on conspiracy members performing various tasks, including distributing illicit drugs to ground-level sellers; protecting conspiracy members and drug points from out-of-project gangs; and making ground level sales. The government presented evidence that Reyes performed all three of these tasks during the life of the conspiracy. As was the case with Cruz, this evidence came in the form of testimony from three government witnesses. These witnesses testified that Reyes ran drugs, both supplying the ground-level sellers and picking up money for point owners; used firearms to protect Trujillo and Trujillo's drug point; often carried and brandished firearms while at the project; and sold crack to ground-level customers. Given that the government presented evidence that only conspiracy members could carry firearms at the project and that witnesses linked Reyes to lead conspirator Trujillo, a rational jury could have found that Reyes was part of the Malpica-Trujillo conspiracy. Reyes's argument, that his falling out with Trujillo rendered the evidence of his involvement in the charged conspiracy insufficient, lacks force. There is no requirement that co-conspirators work together harmoniously when pursuing their illicit aims, and even if Reyes's problems with Trujillo were of such magnitude that they prevented him from working directly with Trujillo, he could still have remained a functioning cog in the conspiracy machine. See United States v. Thompson, 449 F.3d 267, 273 (1st Cir.2006) (explaining that the defendant's falling out with his coconspirator did not extricate him from the conspiracy because the defendant could remain part of the conspiracy without maintaining direct contact with his coconspirator); Soto-Beníquez, 356 F.3d at 19 (The government need not show that each conspirator ... had contact with all other members.). At best, the fact that Reyes and Trujillo had a falling out could be relevant to a withdrawal argument. Reyes makes no such argument, nor could he based on the record evidence. See United States v. Pizarro-Berriós, 448 F.3d 1, 10 (1st Cir.2006) (`[I]n order to withdraw from a conspiracy, a conspirator must act affirmatively either to defeat or disavow the purposes of the conspiracy. Typically, that requires either a full confession to authorities or a communication by the accused to his co-conspirators that he has abandoned the enterprise and its goals.') (quoting United States v. Piper, 298 F.3d 47, 53 (1st Cir.2002)).