United States v. Cornelio-Legarda

381 F. App'x 835
CourtCourt of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit
DecidedJune 7, 2010
Docket08-8067
StatusUnpublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 381 F. App'x 835 (United States v. Cornelio-Legarda) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
United States v. Cornelio-Legarda, 381 F. App'x 835 (10th Cir. 2010).

Opinion

ORDER AND JUDGMENT *

MICHAEL R. MURPHY, Circuit Judge.

I. Introduction

Defendant-appellant, Esteban Cornelio-Legarda, was charged in a multi-count indictment with drug, conspiracy, and firearm crimes. The district court acquitted Cornelio-Legarda of one count and the jury found him guilty of ten remaining counts. In this appeal, he raises five challenges to his convictions and one challenge to his sentence. Specifically, he argues (1) the evidence was insufficient to sustain the two international money laundering convictions; (2) the district court erred by not severing the felon-in-possession charge; (3) the evidence was insufficient to support the two weapons charges; (4) the district court erroneously refused to grant a mistrial when a prejudicial demonstrative exhibit was shown to the jury; (5) hearsay statements were erroneously admitted; and (6) the Government failed to disclose exculpatory information. Exercising jurisdiction pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1291 and 18 U.S.C. § 3742, we affirm the judgment and sentence.

II. Background

On September 19, 2007, Cornelio-Legar-da was charged in a multi-count indictment with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 841 and 846 (“Count 1”); conspiracy to launder money internationally, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1956(a)(2) (“Count 2”); distribution of methamphetamine, in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1) *838 and (b)(1)(C) (“Count 4”); possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug felony, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 924(c)(1)(A) (“Count 8”); being an unlawful drug user in possession of a firearm and aiding and abetting, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(3) and § 924(a)(2) (“Count 9”); being a felon in possession of a firearm, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1) and § 924(a)(2) (“Count 10”); use of a communication facility to facilitate a drug felony, in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 848(b) (“Count 14,” “Count 15,” and “Count 17”); international laundering of monetary instruments and aiding and abetting, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1956(a)(2) (“Count 18”); and distribution of methamphetamine, in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1) and (b)(1)(C) (“Count 24”). On the day Cornelio-Legarda’s trial commenced, the district court held a James hearing to determine whether statements made by Cornelio-Legarda’s coconspirators were admissible under Fed. R.Evid. 801(d)(2)(E). See United States v. James, 590 F.2d 575, 579-80 (5th Cir. 1979). At the hearing, DEA Special Agent Steve Woodson testified that several individuals were arrested as a result of wiretaps conducted in Riverton, Wyoming from 2004 to 2005. When interviewed, those individuals implicated Cornelio-Legarda in a drug distribution conspiracy. The DEA sought and received court authorization to wiretap Cornelio-Legarda’s phone. At the close of the investigation, forty individuals, including Cornelio-Legarda and his codefendant Karen Allen, were indicted for distributing methamphetamine in Wyoming. During the James hearing, Agent Wood-son specifically named each of the forty individuals.

The district court reserved ruling on whether the requirements of Rule 801(d)(2)(E) had been satisfied, choosing instead to first hear from additional witnesses outside the presence of the jury. After the testimony of Jessica Myhre, the court concluded the Government had shown by a preponderance of the evidence that a conspiracy existed and Cornelio-Legarda participated in it. See United States v. Williamson, 53 F.3d 1500, 1517-18 (10th Cir.1995) (“In order for statements to be admissible under Rule 801(d)(2)(E), the proponent of the evidence must establish ... that: (1) a conspiracy existed; (2) the declarant and the defendant were both members of the conspiracy; and (3) the statements were made during the course of, and in furtherance of, the conspiracy.” (citations omitted)). The district court further stated, however, that it would look “with great caution” on the testimony of certain declarants but would “conditionally allow the testimony to go forward.”

The Government’s first trial witness, Jessica Myhre, testified she met Cornelio-Legarda in January 2007 and began selling drugs with him approximately two weeks later. According to Myhre, she and Cornelio-Legarda made several trips to Rock Springs, Wyoming to obtain drugs from Cornelio-Legarda’s source. She described her role in the conspiracy as collecting money from people who wanted to obtain methamphetamine. Cornelio-Le-garda would then arrange to obtain the methamphetamine. Once obtained, Myhre would sell some of the drugs to people she knew and Cornelio-Legarda would sell some to people he knew. Myhre also testified about wire transfers she made to Garrick Murdock, an individual who fronted methamphetamine to her and Cornelio-Legarda. Specifically, she testified she wired money to Murdock via Western Union in February 2007. Myhre and Corne-lio-Legarda collected the money by selling drugs to individuals in the Riverton, Wyoming area and thereafter sent it to Mur-dock as payment for methamphetamine.

During Myhre’s testimony, the Government showed her an organizational chart *839 containing photographs of individuals allegedly involved in the conspiracy. When the Government sought to have the chart admitted as an exhibit, Cornelio-Legarda’s codefendant objected. Cornelio-Legarda objected to permitting the jury to use the chart during deliberations, but suggested using it for demonstrative purposes. The district court refused to receive the chart as an exhibit, concluding it was a “comment on the evidence” because it depicted a hierarchy that was the Government’s burden to prove. Consistent with Corne-lio-Legarda’s suggestion, however, the court permitted the chart to be shown to the jury during Myhre’s testimony for the “purpose! ] of assisting the jury and identifying” the individuals involved in the conspiracy.

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Related

United States v. Cornelio-Legarda
572 F. App'x 665 (Tenth Circuit, 2014)

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Bluebook (online)
381 F. App'x 835, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-cornelio-legarda-ca10-2010.