United States v. Pauling

256 F. Supp. 3d 329
CourtDistrict Court, S.D. New York
DecidedJune 12, 2017
Docket16-CR-563 (JPO)
StatusPublished

This text of 256 F. Supp. 3d 329 (United States v. Pauling) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, S.D. New York primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
United States v. Pauling, 256 F. Supp. 3d 329 (S.D.N.Y. 2017).

Opinion

OPINION AND ORDER

J. PAUL OETKEN, District Judge:

On February 16, 2017, following a jury trial, John Pauling was convicted of conspiring to traffic in heroin, as well as several other narcotics and firearms crimes. (Dkt. No. 37.) Pauling moves pursuant to Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 29 to vacate the portion of the jury’s verdict which found that the charged conspiracy involved a least 100 grams of heroin. In the alternative, Pauling moves for a new trial pursuant to Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 33. For the reasons that follow, Pauling’s motion to vacate is granted, and his motion for a new trial is conditionally granted.

I. Background

On January 19,- 2017, a grand jury returned a superseding indictment (SI) [333]*333charging Pauling on eight counts. (Dkt. No. 25.) Count One charged Pauling with conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute at least 100 grams of mixtures and substances containing heroin.1 Counts Two, Three, and Four charged Pauling with distributing and possessing with intent to distribute heroin. Count Five charged Pauling with unlicensed dealing in firearms. Count Six charged Pauling with using and carrying a firearm during and in relation to — or possessing a firearm in furtherance of — the conspiracy charged in Count One. Counts Seven and Eight charged Pauling with possessing a firearm after a previous felony conviction.

Pauling’s trial began on February 13, 2017, and concluded on February 16, 2017. Through his counsel’s arguments to the jury, Pauling admitted to each of the crimes' charged in the superseding indictment except for Counts One and Six, which he contested. (See Tr. 33:11-35:8, 507:11-508:2, Dkt Nos. 38^5.) As the defense conceded it would, the evidence at trial showed that Pauling engaged in a series of narcotics and firearm transactions over the course of several months in 2016.

The Government’s witnesses comprised an undercover officer who purchased heroin and two firearms from Pauling (id. at 41:10-183:21); an eyewitness who testified that she was present on February 18,2016, during what she assumed to be a narcotics sale conducted by Pauling (id. at 184:3-205:19); a detective with the New York City Police Department, who was also present on February 18 and recovered a discarded bag of heroin at the scene (id. at 205:25-216:14); a special agent with the Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”), who observed Pauling’s interactions with a man named Kevin Lowe on June 26, 2016, and who participated in Pauling’s arrest and the recovery of drug paraphernalia from his apartment on July 14, 2016 (id. at 236:15-277:22); and a DEA case agent who presented the recordings of a judicially authorized wiretap of Pauling’s cell phone (id. at 279:23-379:7). The defense did not call any witnesses.

The parties also submitted into evidence calls and text messages obtained under the wiretap (Gov’t Exs. 701-89; Def. Exs. AB; see also Gov’t Ex. 304); recordings of the undercover officer’s interactions with Pauling (Gov’t Exs. 501-10; see also Gov’t Ex. 307); two firearms, ammunition, and 26.4 grams of heroin, which the undercover officer purchased from Pauling (Gov’t Exs. 202-04, 207-08, 217, 219-22; see also Gov’t Exs. 301 ¶¶ 2-4; Gov’t Ex. 303); 14.8 grams of heroin recovered from the scene of the February 18 surveillance (Gov’t Ex. 201; see also Gov’t Ex. 301 ¶ 1); and the drug paraphernalia seized from Pauling’s apartment, on which heroin residue was detected (Gov’t Exs. 205-06, 209-16; see also Gov’t Ex. 301 ¶ 5).

After deliberations, the jury returned a unanimous verdict of guilty on Counts One through Five, Seven; and Eight and not guilty on Count Seven. (Dkt. No. 37.) As to Count One, the jury determined that the charged heroin-trafficking conspiracy involved 100 grams or more of heroin. (Id.) The present motions' principally concern this determination of drug quantity.

II. Motion to Vacate

Pauling moves pursuant to Rule 29 to vacate, in part, his conviction on Count One. Pauling contends that the evidence at trial was insufficient to support a finding by the jury beyond a reasonable [334]*334doubt that- the conspiracy involved 100 grams or more of heroin in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1), 841(b)(1)(B), 846. Instead, Pauling asserts, the evidence supported only a conviction on the lesser-included offense of conspiracy to distribute heroin of any quantity in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1), 841(b)(1)(C), 846. Pauling asks the Court to vacate his conviction on Count One and enter a judgment of conviction on this latter offense. The jury was instructed at trial on the lesser-included offense (see Tr. 563:18-564:7, 569:23-570:11, 572:22-574:19), and accordingly Rules 29 and 31(c) permit the Court to “enter a judgment of conviction on a lesser-included offense when it finds that an element exclusive to the greater offense is not supported by evidence sufficient to sustain the jury’s finding of guilt on the greater offense,” United States v. Dhinsa, 243 F.3d 635, 674 (2d Cir. 2001) (quoting Virgin Islands v. Josiah, 641 F.2d 1103, 1108 (3d Cir. 1981)).

A. Legal Standard

Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 29(a) directs the Court to “enter a judgment of acquittal of any offense for which the evidence is insufficient to sustain a conviction.” A successful Rule 29 motion requires a showing by the defendant, “considering all of the evidence, direct and circumstantial, that ‘no rational trier of fact could have found the defendant guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.’ ” United States v. Eppolito, 543 F.3d 25, 45 (2d Cir. 2008) (quoting United States v. Jackson, 335 F.3d 170, 180 (2d Cir. 2003)). In other words, the Court “must view the evidence in the light most favorable to the government, crediting every inference that could have been drawn in the government’s favor, and deferring to the jury’s assessment of witness credibility and its assessment of the weight of the evidence.” United States v. Coplan, 703 F.3d 46, 62 (2d Cir. 2012) (quoting United States v. Chavez, 549 F.3d 119, 124 (2d Cir. 2008)). The Court’s “deference to the jury’s findings is especially important” in conspiracy cases, “because a conspiracy by its very nature is a secretive operation, and it is a rare case where all aspects of a -conspiracy can be laid bare in court.” Id. (quoting United States v. Rojas, 617 F.3d 669, 674 (2d Cir. 2010)). In short, the defendant bringing a Rule 29 motion “bears a heavy burden.” Id. (quoting United States v. Heras, 609 F.3d 101, 105 (2d Cir. 2010)).

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Bluebook (online)
256 F. Supp. 3d 329, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-pauling-nysd-2017.