United States v. Michael Joseph Hershberger

956 F.2d 954, 1992 U.S. App. LEXIS 1948, 1992 WL 21805
Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit·Decided February 11, 1992·No. 91-8017·Published·Cited by 5 cases

Opinion

McWILLIAMS, Circuit Judge.

Michael Joseph Hershberger was charged in a two-count indictment as follows: In count one he was charged with knowingly, intentionally and unlawfully possessing Ephedrine, a precursor chemical as defined by 21 U.S.C. § 802(34), on or about May 25, 1989, with an intent to manufacture Methamphetamine, a Schedule II controlled substance, in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 841(d)(1). In count two he was charged with knowingly, intentionally and unlawfully attempting to manufacture in excess of ten grams of Methamphetamine, a Schedule II controlled substance, on or about May 25, 1989, in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 846 and 21 U.S.C. § 841(b)(1)(B). A jury convicted Hershberger on count one and acquitted him on count two. He was sentenced to 120 months imprisonment, to be followed by 3 years of supervised release and a $50 assessment. Hershberger appeals. We affirm.

On appeal, Hershberger contends that the evidence does not support the jury’s verdict finding him guilty on count one. He also contends that in computing his base ’ offense level under the Sentencing Guidelines, the district court erred in including as “relevant conduct” a January 1989 delivery of five pounds of Ephedrine and that the district court further erred in increasing his base offense level by two levels for his “obstruction of justice.” Some background facts are in order.

*956 As indicated, count one, and count two for that matter, pertain to acts occurring on or about May 25, 1989. On that day officers of the Green River, Wyoming Police Department conducted two searches of a private residence located at 280 Grease-wood in Green River, Wyoming, the home of Michael Hershberger. Hershberger had permitted a Mr. James Engh to live in the house while he was in California, although, by coincidence or otherwise, Hershberger was in Green River on May 25, 1989. He had brought with him from California one Tracy Van Hook Surles, who was in his Green River residence at the time of the search.

The first search of the premises occurred on May 25, 1989, around 9:20 a.m. when Green River police officers executed a search warrant authorizing a search for stolen property. During the course of that search the officers discovered what appeared to be an illegal drug manufacturing laboratory in the basement of the residence. The officers left the house and obtained a second search warrant authorizing a search for illegal drugs and related paraphernalia. Agents of the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation assisted in this second search, in which certain chemicals, glassware and other items evidencing an illegal Methamphetamine laboratory were seized. There was testimony that Hershberger’s fingerprints were on certain of these items. A forensic chemist testified that there were traces of Ephedrine in many of the items seized in the search.

Engh, who, as indicated, was staying on the property at 280 Greasewood with Hershberger’s permission, and one Cindy Cross, a former girlfriend of Hersh-berger’s, both testified as government witnesses. They testified that in January, 1989, they met Hershberger in Salt Lake City, Utah, where Hershberger unsuccessfully attempted to purchase five pounds of Ephedrine from a local chemical shop. 1 Hershberger, using the name John Nixon, then called Sun Scientific on an 800 number in Florida and placed an order for five pounds of Ephedrine to be shipped by UPS to 280 Greasewood in Green River.

A working partner of Sun Scientific testified that five pounds of Ephedrine was shipped via UPS to 280 Greasewood, and UPS records confirmed the delivery. Cindy Cross testified that when the delivery was made at 280 Greasewood in late January, 1989, she, using the name Cindy Wilson, signed for it and paid the UPS driver $1,000 in cash which she had received from Hershberger.

Records of Sun Scientific also showed a delivery of five pounds of Ephedrine on or about May 15, 1989, to 1312 Clark Street, Rock Springs, Wyoming. This was the residence of Cindy Cross’s mother. On May 17, 1989, Cindy Cross, accompanied by Hershberger, went to her mother’s residence and signed for the five pounds of Ephedrine, again giving the UPS driver $1,000 in cash which she had received from Hershberger. Cross also testified that from January through May, 1989, she often used Methamphetamine with Hershberger and Engh at 280 Greasewood. In this regard, Engh corroborated Cross’s testimony-

Bruce Gandy, another government witness, testified that in the late evening of May 25, 1989, or perhaps in the early morning of May 26, 1989, he drove Hershberger to 280 Greasewood, Hershberger indicating that he wanted to pick up some personal belongings at his home before leaving Green River. 2 On that occasion, according to Gandy, Hershberger retrieved a nylon bag which had been buried in the backyard of the premises at 280 Greasewood. The bag was later opened and contained a white *957 crystalline powder, which Hershberger told Gandy was Ephedrine.

We think the testimony of witnesses Engh, Cross and Gandy, coupled with the testimony of the representative from Sun Scientific, is itself sufficient to support the jury’s verdict. The government, however, produced much more incriminating evidence. The prosecution called some sixteen witnesses and introduced into evidence literally scores of corroborating documents. 3 In sum, the record amply supports the jury’s determination that on or about May 25, 1989, Hershberger possessed Ephedrine with an intent to manufacture Methamphetamine.

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United States v. Michael Joseph Hershberger, 956 F.2d 954, 1992 U.S. App. LEXIS 1948, 1992 WL 21805 (10th Cir. 1992).

956 F.2d 954 (United States v. Michael Joseph Hershberger) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

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