Court Opinion

ID: 1002231
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2013-07-04 18:07:43.903335+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T09:44:22.069845
License: Public Domain

UNPUBLISHED

UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS

FOR THE FOURTH CIRCUIT

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,
Plaintiff-Appellee,

v.                                                             No. 99-4792

EARL FRITH,
Defendant-Appellant.

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,
Plaintiff-Appellee,

v.
                                                               No. 99-4833
JULIO ROBERTO CASTELLANOS, a/k/a
J.R.,
Defendant-Appellant.

Appeals from the United States District Court
for the Western District of Virginia, at Roanoke.
James C. Turk, District Judge.
(CR-91-82-R)

Submitted: July 20, 2000

Decided: August 8, 2000

Before Before WIDENER, MURNAGHAN, and WILKINS,
Circuit Judges.

_________________________________________________________________

Affirmed by unpublished per curiam opinion.

_________________________________________________________________
COUNSEL

Bradley B. Cavedo, SHUFORD, RUBIN & GIBNEY, P.C., Rich-
mond, Virginia; Joaquin N. Fernandez, Coral Gables, Florida, for
Appellants. Robert P. Crouch, Jr., United States Attorney, Joseph W.
H. Mott, Assistant United States Attorney, Bruce A. Pagel, Assistant
United States Attorney, Thomas E. Booth, UNITED STATES
DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE, Washington, D.C., for Appellee.

_________________________________________________________________

Unpublished opinions are not binding precedent in this circuit. See
Local Rule 36(c).

_________________________________________________________________

OPINION

PER CURIAM:

A jury convicted Earl Frith of one count of structuring currency
transactions in violation of 31 U.S.C. § 5324(a)(3) (1994), and Julio
Roberto Castellanos of one count of conspiracy to distribute cocaine
in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 846 (1994), and one count of conspiracy
to import cocaine in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 963 (1994). On appeal,
Frith contends that: (1) the evidence was insufficient; (2) the Govern-
ment improperly failed to disclose exculpatory evidence; (3) the late
disclosure of discovery material prejudiced his defense; and (4) the
judge made improper prejudicial comments about Frith in the pres-
ence of the jury. Castellanos contends that the district court erred by
not considering sentencing issues beyond this court's instructions on
remand. Finding no reversible error, we affirm.

A jury verdict must be upheld if there exists substantial evidence
to support it, viewing the evidence in the light most favorable to the
government. See Glasser v. United States, 315 U.S. 60, 80 (1942).
Substantial evidence is evidence "that a reasonable finder of fact
could accept as adequate and sufficient to support a conclusion of a
defendant's guilt beyond a reasonable doubt." United States v. Bur-
gos, 94 F.3d 849, 862 (4th Cir. 1996) (en banc). An appellate court

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does not review the jury's decision regarding the credibility of wit-
nesses. See United States v. Saunders, 886 F.2d 56, 60 (4th Cir.
1989). We find that there was substantial evidence to support Frith's
conviction for structuring.

We also find that the Government did not withhold exculpatory
evidence in violation of Brady v. Maryland, 373 U.S. 83, 87 (1963).
Nor did the timing of the Government's disclosure of evidence to
Frith warrant a new trial. In addition, we find that the district court
did not abuse its discretion by asking Frith questions during his testi-
mony, or by making comments to Frith's counsel.

We find no merit to Castellanos' appeal. This court's remand was
for the purpose of determining whether he was eligible for a departure
under U.S. Sentencing Guidelines Manual§ 2D1.1 (1997). Thus, the
district court did not err by not considering other issues.

Accordingly, we affirm the convictions and sentences. We dispense
with oral argument because the facts and legal contentions are ade-
quately presented in the materials before the court and argument
would not aid the decisional process.

AFFIRMED

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