Eugene Duvalcourt Walker and Irving Goldheimer v. United States

298 F.2d 217, 1962 U.S. App. LEXIS 6181
CourtCourt of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
DecidedJanuary 17, 1962
Docket17382_1
StatusPublished
Cited by26 cases

This text of 298 F.2d 217 (Eugene Duvalcourt Walker and Irving Goldheimer v. United States) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Eugene Duvalcourt Walker and Irving Goldheimer v. United States, 298 F.2d 217, 1962 U.S. App. LEXIS 6181 (9th Cir. 1962).

Opinion

BARNES, Circuit Judge.

Appellants Walker and Goldheimer, together with defendants Wilson, Medina and Mendez, were indicted on two counts of violating Title 21 United States Code Annotated, §§ 174, 176. The first count charged that beginning on or about July 13, 1960, and continuing to August 30, 1960, appellants together with other named defendants conspired together to knowingly and unlawfully receive, conceal, transport and facilitate the concealment and transportation, and sell and facilitate the sale, of heroin which, the defendants knew had been imported into, the United States contrary to § 173, Title 21, United States Code Annotated; to knowingly smuggle and clandestinely introduce into the United States from Mexico, heroin with intent to defraud the United States (which merchandise should have been invoiced prior to importation into the United States) in violation of § 174, Title 21, United States. Code. 1 The second count charged that during the same period appellants, and' other defendants, violated the same law with respect to marihuana (21 U.S.C.A. § 176) 2

Appellants pleaded not guilty to both counts and were tried by jury.

The jurisdiction of the district court was found upon 18 U.S.C. § 3231. This court has jurisdiction to hear the appeal *219 and review the judgments under the provisions of 28 U.S.C. §§ 1291 and 1294.

Facts

Because of alleged insufficiency of the evidence to support each conviction, it becomes necessary to consider it in some detail.

James R. Webster, a special employee of the Federal Bureau of Narcotics, testified that he met Goldheimer in a jail in Long Beach, California, in the latter part of May 1960, that Goldheimer told him that he had been to Mexico, that he had narcotics sources there and that he had previously imported marihuana from Mexico to New York and that he had just returned from Mexico not long prior to his arrest, and that he had an associate or friend who had a boat and that they were intending to import a large quantity of marihuana “up to this area”; that they had the “contacts on the Mexican side ‘all lined up.’ ” Webster further testified that he met Donald Wilets, an agent of the Federal Bureau of Narcotics, on June 3, 1960, and on June 23, 1960, and outlined to Wilets the conversations he had with Goldheimer.

On June 29, 1960, Webster met Goldheimer and Walker and was asked, by Goldheimer, if he wanted to see the boat. While on the yacht Goldheimer (Walker not being present) showed Webster certain nautical charts and told him that he and Walker had one chart on which they had worked out a course to some point below Ensenada with a landing area where “a transshipment could be made of the narcotics on board the vessel.” During a conversation that night, Walker stated that the best plan, and what he intended to do, was to have the narcotics wrapped in waterproofed packages, compressed, and put into sail bags (which are canvas bags that are put on or below decks when the ship is at sea, and which are usually empty when the sails are being used). Walker also stated that he was not absolutely sure of the customs formalities in returning from a foreign run on a yacht and that he was going to check into it. In discussing finances Goldheimer stated that he had some money on deposit with one Bryce Wilson in Guadalajara; that if their venture was successful Goldheimer, Walker, Wilson and Webster were each to receive twenty-five per cent of the total profits above expenditures and that Webster was to put some money into the enterprise depending on the final amount of narcotics that was to be handled.

On June 27, 1960, Webster had suggested to Goldheimer that he meet his financial backer. Goldheimer had previously expressed a desire to meet him. On July 13, 1960, Webster and Wilets met Goldheimer at a restaurant on the Sunset Strip and Goldheimer told Wilets that there were narcotics available through his sources and that a source of transportation, a yacht, was readily available.

On July 14, 1960, Goldheimer, Walker, Webster and Wilets, met together at a restaurant and then went for a ride during which Goldheimer asked Webster and Wilets how the plan “looked” and Walker asked if Wilets were going to “front any money.”

On July 28, 1960, Webster met Goldheimer who said he would be ready to go to Mexico the following day and requested Webster to make all the arrangements. Arrangements were made and on the next day Wilets drove Webster out to pick up Goldheimer and then, drove Webster and Goldheimer to the airport. The conversation in the car concerned bringing the matter “to a head” and obtaining a clear commitment down below on what they were supposed to get. Webster and Goldheimer deplaned at Guadalajara but they could not find Wilson there, and Goldheimer then left Guadalajara and flew to Puerto Vallarta, and returned the following day with Wilson. Goldheimer told Webster that Wilson had spent his money and that they would go to the Jalisco State Jail in Guadalajara the following day to meet with one of the sources of supply. They went to the prison where they met an inmate named Talaveras with whom they discussed the availability of heroin; it *220 was learned that marihuana was available in a week or two but that Talayeras did not know about the heroin but that he would send someone out to see about it. One Ramundo was contacted and he stated that there was a kilogram of heroin available in a week or two and that the price would be $10,000. Webster said the price was too high but Goldheimer and Wilson said that it was a fair price and Goldheimer also stated, “Well that’s the price its always been.” Webster and Goldheimer returned to their hotel with Wilson and when Goldheimer went with Wilson to the hotel at which Wilson was stopping, Webster called Wilets and outlined what had happened in the jail. Webster, Goldheimer and Wilson returned to the jail a few days later and Webster stated that $10,000 would be acceptable but that he would want a firm delivery date and Ramundo stated that there would be a kilo available on August 14, which could be held until August 21. Goldheimer suggested that the heroin and marihuana should be bought at one time for one delivery on the yacht and Talaveras said that the marihuana would be available at the same time as the heroin. Ramundo then gave Wilson, Webster and Goldheimer the name and address of a man outside of the prison whom he said was the heroin and opium connection. Ramundo s “connection” was a man named Medina and his name and address were written by Ramundo on a slip of paper which he gave to Wilson.

After leaving the jail the plans for delivery were discussed in Guadalajara by Wilson, Goldheimer and Webster and Wilson said he would go back to his home and that he would return to Guadalajara on August 14, at which time he would meet Medina to get a sample of the heroin and that he would then forward a sampie to Webster in the United States.

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Bluebook (online)
298 F.2d 217, 1962 U.S. App. LEXIS 6181, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/eugene-duvalcourt-walker-and-irving-goldheimer-v-united-states-ca9-1962.