United States v. Marion Johnson, Marshall Johnson, Willie Lee Dancy, 911 F.2d 1394, 10th Cir. (1990)
United States v. Marion Johnson, Marshall Johnson, Willie Lee Dancy, 911 F.2d 1394, 10th Cir. (1990)
2d 1394
D. Blair Watson, Asst. U.S. Atty. (Robert E. Mydans, U.S. Atty., with him on
the brief) Oklahoma City, Okl., for plaintiff-appellee.
Paul Antonio Lacy (Gary W. Briggs, with him on the brief) of Lacy & Briggs,
Oklahoma City, Okl., for defendant-appellant, Marshall Johnson.
Marion Johnson, Marshall Johnson and Willie Lee Dancy are three of eight
defendants convicted for various offenses arising out of activities of the
Sanders heroin ring which was centered in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. We
have considered previously the arguments of other defendants involved in these
crimes. See United States v. Rogers, 899 F.2d 917 (10th Cir.), cert. filed, No.
89-7763 (June 15, 1990); United States v. Williams, 897 F.2d 1034 (10th
Cir.1990); United States v. Ware, 897 F.2d 1538 (10th Cir.), cert. denied, --U.S. ----, ----, 110 S.Ct. 2629, 2630, 110 L.Ed.2d 649, 650 (1990); United
States v. Baggett, 890 F.2d 1095 (10th Cir.1989). We now address the
9I. Facts.
10
Johnson's role in the Sanders conspiracy was to supervise the street sales of
heroin made by co-defendants Ware and Daniels and, on occasion, by her
brother Marshall Johnson. She describes the facts of this case through the
testimony introduced against her at trial. The testimony of police detective
Thomas Tehrune was introduced to establish evidence of the conspiracy and to
permit the later introduction of co-conspirator testimony. Detective Tehrune
described wiretap evidence in which Johnson spoke with certain co-defendants
about heroin transactions and surveillance revealing Johnson's regular presence
with the defendants convicted on conspiracy charges. Other witnesses
connected Johnson to the conspiracy, identifying her as the street sales manager
for the organization and connecting her with specific drug transactions.
II. Issues.
11
A. Mistrial for Juror Prejudice.
12
13
Johnson argues that she was entitled to a mistrial when one or more jury
members saw her handcuffed to other defendants. We have held that a juror's
fleeting glance of a defendant in handcuffs does not warrant a mistrial, Glass v.
United States, 351 F.2d 678, 681 (10th Cir.1965), and other circuits have
recently reaffirmed this principle. See, e.g., United States v. Garcia-Rosa, 876
F.2d 209, 236 (1st Cir.1989), cert. denied, --- U.S. ----, 110 S.Ct. 742, 107
L.Ed.2d 760 (1990); United States v. Halliburton, 870 F.2d 557, 560-61 (9th
Cir.), cert. denied, --- U.S. ----, 109 S.Ct. 3227, 106 L.Ed.2d 575 (1989). The
trial court made a full inquiry as to whether this incident would prejudice the
jury. No juror indicated any inability to be impartial. The denial of a mistrial
was correct.
B. Double Jeopardy.
14
15
16
17
Although the court concluded that, under the Blockburger test, the elements of
the RICO conspiracy and conspiracy to distribute charges overlapped, this was
not determinative. Under the further guidance of Garrett, the court held that
Congress, in enacting the RICO statute, "fully intended to permit cumulative
punishments," and that the defendants' punishment on RICO and drug
conspiracy charges was therefore not constitutionally prohibited. Id. at 864; see
also United States v. Grayson, 795 F.2d 278, 282-83 (3d Cir.1986), cert.
denied, 479 U.S. 1054, 107 S.Ct. 927, 93 L.Ed.2d 978 (1987). Consequently,
we conclude that Johnson's similar multiple convictions do not constitute
double jeopardy.
C.
18 Legality of Wiretap.
19
Johnson makes the same arguments concerning the legality of the wiretap
which were raised by her codefendants, Ware and Daniels. In United States v.
Ware, 897 F.2d at 1540-41, we rejected those arguments and affirmed the
district courts ruling that the wiretap was not unlawfully executed. It would
serve no useful purpose to repeat our analysis here. Again, for the same
reasons, we affirm the ruling.
D. Sufficiency of Evidence.
20
21
Johnson's final arguments concern the sufficiency of the evidence to sustain her
convictions if the wiretap evidence is excluded. It is possible that, if the
wiretap evidence is found to have been illegally obtained, there would be
insufficient evidence to sustain her conviction on some of the charges.
However, at least three other witnesses testified as to her complicity in the
organization. Nevertheless, we think it is unnecessary to consider this issue
because the wiretap itself was not illegal under Oklahoma law.
MARSHALL JOHNSON
22
I. Facts.
23
24
25
When they arrived at the club, Marion Johnson was not there, and Hill
instructed Brown to talk to Marion's brother, Marshall Johnson. Marshall then
called Marion, and put Brown on the line to talk to her. Brown then asked
Marion Johnson over the phone for eight to ten pills or balloons of heroin.
Marshall Johnson then took back the phone and spoke briefly with his sister.
When he hung up, Brown handed him money for the drugs, which she expected
would be sold to her at a discount price. Marshall Johnson then told Brown to
wait at the club, and left with the money.
27
While he was gone, Marion Johnson called Brown back and told her that the
drugs would not be sold at a discount price. Marshall Johnson then returned
with Brown's money, gave it back to her, and told her to count it to make sure it
was all there. The next day, Brown successfully purchased ten pills of heroin
from Hill at a nearby car wash operated by ringleader Sanders. The pills were
supplied to Hill by Marion Johnson. Marshall Johnson was convicted of aiding
and abetting this transaction.
II. Issues.
28
A. Motion for Acquittal.
29
30
Marshall Johnson first contends that the trial court erred by denying his motion
for acquittal on this two-gram charge. His primary argument is that, since the
drug transaction at the Masters Club was never consummated and he did not
participate in the later drug sale at the car wash, he cannot be convicted of
aiding and abetting the two-gram car wash sale. The government asserts the
fact that the December 8 sale at the Masters Club was not completed does not
absolve Marshall Johnson of liability for the subsequent transaction because he
assisted in bringing that transaction about.
31
transaction is sufficient to connect him with the later heroin sale at the car
wash. The government cites a Fourth Circuit case, United States v. Pino, 608
F.2d 1001 (4th Cir.1979), to illustrate that an unconsummated drug transaction
can serve as the predicate for an aiding and abetting conviction related to a later
transaction. In Pino, an undercover informant arranged a drug sale from one
Herring. The informant was unable to find Herring, and asked the defendant
Pino where he might find Herring. Pino responded that he knew the details of
the transaction and attempted to find the package of heroin concealed in a can
in a dumpster. Pino was unable to find the can with the heroin in it, and the deal
did not go through. Later that day, the informant was able to meet up with
Herring, and Herring located the can and sold the heroin to the informant. Pino
was convicted of aiding and abetting this sale. The conviction was upheld on
appeal, because "[w]hile Pino did not locate the beer can containing heroin, he
clearly wished to keep the transaction alive and actively brought it closer to
completion. His actions served to keep the prospective purchaser's interest
engaged." Id. at 1003.
32
33
"willfully
associated himself in some positive way with the criminal venture by
showing that he has joined the enterprise as something he wishes to bring about and
by seeking to make it succeed by some action on his part." Under the [U.S. v.]
Taylor [612 F.2d 1272 (10th Cir.1980) ] case there must be a showing that defendant
knowingly associated herself in some way with the criminal venture. The necessary
association or participation may be established by circumstantial evidence, however,
and evidence of "relatively slight moment may warrant a jury's finding of
participation."
34
United States v. Zamora, 784 F.2d 1025, 1031 (10th Cir.1986) (citations
omitted). Here Marshall Johnson's conduct was not mere negative
acquiescence. As with Zamora, his actions served to keep the prospective
purchaser's interest engaged.B. Severance after Acquittal on Conspiracy
Charges.
35
Johnson next argues that it was prejudicial error for the lower court not to have
severed his trial after he was acquitted on the majority of the charges against
him. It is undisputed that counsel for Marshall Johnson did not move for a
severance after the acquittal. Thus, Johnson must demonstrate that actual
prejudice resulted from the joint trial. United States v. Cardall, 885 F.2d at 66768; United States v. Killip, 819 F.2d 1542, 1547 (10th Cir.), cert. denied, 484
U.S. 987, 108 S.Ct. 505, 98 L.Ed.2d 504 (1987).
36
37
38
Johnson's situation is very similar to that described in the Castro and Branker
cases cited above. On the other hand, the government notes that defense
counsel effectively emphasized the limited evidence against Marshall Johnson
in his closing argument, and the fact that the jury acquitted another defendant
on a conspiracy charge indicates that it was able to separate out the evidence
against each defendant. See United States v. O'Connell, 841 F.2d 1408, 1433
(8th Cir.), cert. denied, 487 U.S. 1210, 108 S.Ct. 2857, 101 L.Ed.2d 893
(1988); United States v. Stackpole, 811 F.2d 689, 694 (1st Cir.1987).
39
Johnson's second argument, that the conspiracy charges were brought against
him in bad faith, stands on weak ground. Johnson intimates that, during a recess
in the grand jury proceedings leading to his indictment, the prosecutor
suggested to one witness, Pearl Chilcott, that she had forgotten to implicate
Johnson in the conspiracy. Chilcott was asked about this during the hearing,
and she stated that she did not identify Johnson because she understood the prerecess question to refer only to street runners in the organization, and his later
question to be directed more broadly to all members of the organization. This
recitation does not amount to bad faith under any rational interpretation.
41
42
43
[although
the jury may have determined that the government had not proved all of
the elements of the weapons offense beyond a reasonable doubt, such a
determination does not necessarily preclude consideration of underlying facts so long
as those facts meet the reliability standard. The sentencing court was not relying on
facts disclosed at trial to punish the defendant for the extraneous offense, but to
justify the heavier penalties of the offenses for which he was convicted.]
44
Id. at 749; see also United States v. Smith, 887 F.2d 104 (6th Cir.1989)
(sentencing properly based on amount of cocaine in count dismissed under plea
agreement); United States v. Guerrero, 863 F.2d 245 (2d Cir.1988) (defendant
admitted involvement in dismissed drug count in stipulation; therefore,
sentencing appropriately based on such conduct). The above rationale in JuarezOrtega likewise indicates that Johnson's double jeopardy argument is without
merit, since there has been no separate punishment for the acquitted crime, only
an enhancement to the sentence of a convicted crime. Cf. United States v.
Koonce, 885 F.2d 720 (10th Cir.1989) (permitting defendant to be tried on
Utah crime although underlying conduct used to enhance sentence for earlier
South Dakota crime; double jeopardy not violated when conduct constituting
crime simply considered during sentencing).
45
In United States v. Landry, 709 F.Supp. 908 (D.Minn.1989), Landry was one of
four defendants charged in a five-count indictment with cocaine-related drug
crimes. None of the defendants went to trial. Landry plead guilty to count five
of the indictment for distribution of two ounces of cocaine. He was not charged
with three of the other four counts of the indictment. The other defendants also
plead guilty to the counts involving them. Id. at 911.
47
Landry's presentence report calculated his base offense level at 20. The
probation office arrived at this figure by aggregating all of the cocaine related to
all counts in the indictment, plus an additional amount not charged but
estimated to be involved in the transaction. This aggregate amount included
amounts for counts for which Landry was not charged. The court rejected this
calculation on due process grounds. Id. at 912.
48
Certainly
the government may bring disputed information to the court's attention;
indeed it has a duty to do so. However, the court will not use the information as a
basis for calculating the guideline offense level or criminal [sic] history score unless
the government can establish the reliability of the information by a preponderance of
the evidence. In Landry's case the government has provided no evidence to tie the
defendant to counts II and III of the indictment, and insufficient evidence to warrant
consideration of the drugs in count IV....
49
50
In this case, the only evidence linking Marshall Johnson to the conspiracy was
the testimony of Pearl Chilcott. Ms. Chilcott testified that she dealt heroin for
Johnson's sister, Marion. She stated that, on one occasion, Marshall Johnson
delivered 100 balloons of heroin to her for his sister, and that, on several
occasions, he was present during her discussions with Marion Johnson about
certain transactions. The trial court found Chilcott's testimony to be so lacking
in specificity that Marshall Johnson could not be expected to defend against it
and consequently dismissed the conspiracy charges against him. Later,
however, the court ruled under Fed.R.Evid. 404(b) that Chilcott's testimony
was admissible to show Johnson's knowledge and intent with respect to the
distribution charge, "given the essential knowledge of the transaction charged
in 53 [the distribution charge], the proximity of time, the similarity of the
players in the game...." See Appellant's Brief at 6.
51
Johnson argues that this evidence does not have sufficient indicia of reliability
for use during sentencing. However, the defendant's motion for acquittal was
not granted because of insufficient evidence; rather, the district court was
concerned that the witnesses who testified to their purchases of heroin from
Marshall Johnson could not pinpoint more precisely the dates on which those
transactions occurred. As reflected in the trial court's Rule 404(b) ruling above,
the disputed evidence was admitted only with respect to the distribution charge
and not with respect to the conspiracy charge. The sentencing judge is not
limited to information that would be admissible at trial.
D. Other Sentencing Issues.
52
53
Marshall Johnson also argues that the sentence itself was miscalculated under
the Guidelines, based on the arguments addressed above and several new
contentions. The new contentions are that he was entitled to a greater reduction
than the judge awarded for his limited role in the crime, that his sentence
should not have been enhanced due to his alleged obstruction of justice, and
that he should have been entitled to a reduction for his acceptance of
responsibility.
54
On the issues relating to reductions for his role in the crime and for acceptance
of responsibility, there was evidence relating to his participation in the
conspiracy. Moreover, while a defendant may not be denied a sentence
reduction for failing to accept responsibility for dismissed charges, see United
States v. Perez-Franco, 873 F.2d 455, 464 (1st Cir.1989), appellate review of a
trial court's finding on this issue must be highly deferential. We believe the
finding in this case is buttressed by Johnson's obstruction of justice. As to that
issue, Johnson asserts that the testimony of a police officer contained in the
presentence report that he had threatened certain witnesses was devoid of
reliability. However, the court may consider hearsay evidence during
sentencing, so long as it does not "rely on 'misinformation of constitutional
magnitude.' " United States v. Sciarrino, 884 F.2d 95, 97 (3d Cir.) (citing
United States v. Tucker, 404 U.S. 443, 447, 92 S.Ct. 589, 592, 30 L.Ed.2d 592
(1972), cert. denied, --- U.S. ----, 110 S.Ct. 553, 107 L.Ed.2d 549 (1989)). This
information did not reach that scope.
Willie Lee Dancy was convicted of four charges relating to his participation in
the Sanders heroin ring. These charges were for RICO violations, conspiracy to
violate RICO, conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute heroin, and
possession with intent to distribute heroin. Dancy makes four assertions in this
appeal: (1) that the court's finding of Dancy's involvement in the conspiracy
II. Issues.
58
A. Evidence to Support a Finding of Conspiracy.
59
60
Dancy asserts the district court erred in admitting the hearsay testimony of
Renee Sanders, an alleged co-conspirator, to establish Dancy's connection to
the conspiracy, because there was insufficient evidence independent of this
testimony to connect him to the conspiracy. Under Fed.R.Evid. 801(d)(2)(E),
statements by a co-conspirator during the course and in furtherance of the
conspiracy are admissible as an exception to the hearsay rule.
61
Court ruling in Bourjaily v. United States, 483 U.S. 171, 179, 107 S.Ct. 2775,
2781, 97 L.Ed.2d 144 (1987), this is no longer so. The court may now examine
the hearsay statements sought to be admitted as well as the independent
evidence presented as "at least a partial basis for the findings necessary to admit
the statements into evidence." Hernandez, 829 F.2d at 993; see also United
States v. Cardall, 885 F.2d at 669 n. 24.
62
Given the Supreme Court's ruling in Bourjaily, there is no question that the trial
court was correct in finding that Dancy was a member of the conspiracy
(relying in part on Renee Sanders' testimony) and thus that Renee Sanders'
testimony was admissible. Her testimony is persuasive evidence that Johnny
Sanders, the ringleader, had an established relationship with Dancy before the
transaction and that Sanders intended to use Dancy as the new supplier of
heroin to his organization.2 The testimony of Darlene Daniels and the police
officers conducting the surveillance further connect Mr. Dancy to the
organization at later dates.
65
Dancy's first two contentions require little discussion. There is ample evidence
to support the interstate travel offense. Likewise, Dancy's argument that his
selling heroin to the acknowledged leader of the conspiracy establishes no
connection to the conspiracy is ludicrous. As to his third contention, Dancy
inaccurately argues that the predicate acts of conspiracy to distribute and
interstate travel in aid of a conspiracy to distribute arose out of the same
transaction. While it is true that "it is not proper under RICO to charge two
predicate acts where one action violates two statutes," United States v.
Kragness, 830 F.2d at 861, the indictment reveals that the interstate travel
charge related to Dancy's November heroin distribution. The conspiracy to
Finally, Dancy's buy-sell argument is likewise without merit. There are several
cases that hold that " 'proof of the existence of a buyer-seller relationship,
without more, is inadequate to tie the buyer to a larger conspiracy.' " United
States v. McIntyre, 836 F.2d 467, 471 (10th Cir.1987) (citing United States v.
Watson, 594 F.2d 1330, 1337 (10th Cir.), cert. denied, 444 U.S. 840, 100 S.Ct.
78, 62 L.Ed.2d 51 (1979)). These cases are inapposite because Dancy was the
seller, not the buyer, in the transaction in question. He cites no cases that apply
this rule to a seller. Moreover, there is ample additional evidence, which
viewed in the light most favorable to the government, point to his strong
connection to the Sanders heroin organization and undermine his argument that
he only made a single sale. Therefore, we conclude that the government did
establish two predicate racketeering activities to justify Dancy's conviction on
the RICO charges.
Dancy's final argument is that his motion for a mistrial was erroneously denied
when it was revealed during trial that one corroborating witness, Andrea
Childress, was the subject of an FBI investigation for conducting a scam
operation while in jail. Dancy concedes that, "as soon as the information
became available to the prosecutors, they immediately and without hesitation
provided all documents to the court and to defense counsel." Dancy Brief at 33.
Moreover, Dancy does not allege that the prosecution acted in bad faith, and it
is clear from the record that defense counsel were permitted to cross-examine
Childress extensively after the disclosure. Nevertheless, Dancy contends that
this was a Brady violation because, had he had more time to review the new
evidence, Dancy could perhaps have bolstered his alibi based on Childress' later
cross-examination testimony.
71
Dancy's argument on this point is entirely speculative and, for the most part,
irrelevant. Brady v. Maryland, 373 U.S. 83, 83 S.Ct. 1194, 10 L.Ed.2d 215
(1963), simply holds that the defendant must be shown all exculpatory
evidence in the prosecution's possession. United States v. Vap, 852 F.2d 1249,
1256 (10th Cir.1988). Evidence that is wrongfully withheld must be material to
the defense for there to be prejudice. United States v. Bagley, 473 U.S. 667,
682, 105 S.Ct. 3375, 3383, 87 L.Ed.2d 481 (1985); Hopkinson v. Shillinger, 66
F.2d 1185, 1212 (10th Cir.1989). "[E]vidence is material only if there is a
reasonable probability that, had the evidence been disclosed to the defense, the
result of the proceeding would have been different. A 'reasonable probability' is
a probability sufficient to undermine confidence in the outcome." Bagley, 473
U.S. at 682, 105 S.Ct. at 3383.
72
CONCLUSION.
73
74
Honorable John L. Kane, Jr., United States Senior District Judge for the
District of Colorado, sitting by designation
The court set Johnson's base offense level at 18. Without the consideration of
his involvement in the conspiracy, Johnson contends that his base offense level
would have been 12