United States v. Richard A. Rosen, Robert Esson Rew and David Benton Holmes

764 F.2d 763, 1985 U.S. App. LEXIS 30806
CourtCourt of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit
DecidedJuly 1, 1985
Docket84-5220
StatusPublished
Cited by50 cases

This text of 764 F.2d 763 (United States v. Richard A. Rosen, Robert Esson Rew and David Benton Holmes) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals for the Eleventh 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. Richard A. Rosen, Robert Esson Rew and David Benton Holmes, 764 F.2d 763, 1985 U.S. App. LEXIS 30806 (11th Cir. 1985).

Opinion

PER CURIAM:

Defendants Rosen, Rew and Holmes were convicted of various charges involving conspiracy, attempt, and importation relating to the smuggling of marijuana to the United States from Jamaica. On appeal defendants claim (1) insufficiency of the evidence; (2) inconsistency of the evidence with the charges in the indictment; and (3) erroneous sentencing in that the statutory maximum sentence for importation or attempted importation was exceeded. We affirm the convictions but hold the statutory maximum sentences were exceeded, which the Government does not contest, and remand to the district court for resen-tencing.

Rosen and Rew are pilots who flew an aircraft to Jamaica on September 2, 1981, to pick up a load of marijuana, but returned empty a day later, apparently because of a scheduling problem. The plan to bring in the marijuana was devised by codefendants Holmes and Savage. After the Jamaican mishap, Rosen refused to continue in the scheme. Rew and Savage, presently a fugitive, and codefendant Webster, who testified for the Government and was not prosecuted in this action, planned a further smuggling flight, this time from Colombia. Testimony at trial indicated that Rew piloted this plane, which crashed in rural St. Lucie County with 28 bales of marijuana aboard on October 19, 1981.

Viewed in the light most favorable to the Government, Glasser v. United States, 315 U.S. 60, 80, 62 S.Ct. 457, 469, 86 L.Ed. 680 (1942), the evidence was sufficient to convict Rosen and Rew of conspiracy and attempt. Guilt of conspiracy can be inferred from a “development and collection of circumstances.” Id. Rosen claims that he was actually a confidential informer for the Government, but the record indicates that he was heavily involved in the drug trade outside of his *765 informant “duties.” The same is true of Rew, who claims he went along only because of Rosen’s status.

The defendants’ objective acts in attempting to import marijuana were unequivocal. The only reason Rosen and Rew returned empty-handed from Jamaica is that the marijuana was not ready when they arrived and the plane had picked up a military escort on the way down. Defendants’ acts clearly supported the attempt conviction. See United States v. Mandujano, 499 F.2d 370 (5th Cir.1974), cert. denied, 419 U.S. 1114, 95 S.Ct. 792, 42 L.Ed.2d 812 (1975); United States v. McDowell, 705 F.2d 426 (11th Cir.1983).

As for Rew’s conviction of marijuana importation, the Government had to prove only that Rew aided and abetted the importation. United States v. Brooks, 703 F.2d 1273 (11th Cir.1983). A review of the record shows that a reasonable jury could have found that Rew flew the ill-fated October 19, 1981 flight from Colombia which crashed in St. Lucie County with approximately 1400 pounds of marijuana packed in 28 bales aboard.

Rew’s claim that the Government failed to prove the substance found aboard the crashed airplane was marijuana is merit-less. The officers who investigated the crash scene were experienced and had identified marijuana on numerous prior occasions. Their testimony was sufficient for a reasonable jury to find the substance to be marijuana. See United States v. Sanchez, 722 F.2d 1501 (11th Cir.), cert. denied, — U.S. -, 104 S.Ct. 2396, 81 L.Ed.2d 353 (1984); United States v. Jones, 480 F.2d 954 (5th Cir.1973), cert. denied, 414 U.S. 1071, 94 S.Ct. 582, 38 L.Ed.2d 476 (1974); United States v. Ferguson, 555 F.2d 1372, 1373 (9th Cir.1977).

Holmes’ argument that a variance existed between the proof at trial and the indictment is based on an allegation that the evidence at trial proved two separate conspiracies while the indictment alleged only a single conspiracy. Whether one or multiple conspiracies are proven depends on whether the evidence demonstrates a “single enterprise.” Kotteakos v. United States, 328 U.S. 750, 769, 66 S.Ct. 1239, 1250, 90 L.Ed. 1557 (1946). That is a jury question. United States v. Michel, 588 F.2d 986, 995 (5th Cir.1979), cert. denied, 444 U.S. 825, 100 S.Ct. 47, 62 L.Ed.2d 32 (1980). No evidence in the record suggests the jury acted unreasonably in finding that Holmes was involved in a single marijuana conspiracy. The only goal of the conspiracy was to import marijuana. The fact that Holmes did not personally involve himself in the second flight from Colombia does not establish two separate conspiracies when the goal remained the same.

The Government agrees with defendant Holmes that the trial court erred in sentencing him to 12 years and fining him $25,000 on Count II, which charged him with intent to import marijuana. The maximum sentence for such a charge is five years imprisonment and a $15,000 fine. 21 U.S.C.A. §§ 960(b)(2); 963. The only dispute is whether the whole sentence should be remanded for resentencing on both counts in Holmes’ conviction or whether resentencing should be restricted to the one count. Holmes’ sentence was as follows:

FIVE (5) YEARS as to Count 1. It is adjudged that on Count 2 that the defendant is hereby committed to the custody of the Attorney General ... for imprisonment for a term of TWELVE (12) YEARS. It is the further order of this Court that the defendant is fined the sum of $15,000 as to Count 1, and $25,000 as to Count 2. The fine in Count 2 is cumulative to that in Count 1____

The court could possibly have given a heavier sentence on Count I. The enhanced penalty provision of 21 U.S.C.A. § 841(b)(6) was applicable there, because more than 1,000 pounds of marijuana was involved, but could not affect Count II.

The Third Circuit has held that in a direct appeal from multiple count criminal convictions, where the several sentences are interdependent, an appellate court may vacate all sentences even if only one is re *766 versed on appeal. United States v. Busic, 639 F.2d 940, 947 (3rd Cir.), cert. denied, 452 U.S. 918, 101 S.Ct. 3055, 69 L.Ed.2d 422 (1981). There, defendants LaRocca and Busic were convicted on a multi-count indictment of narcotics and possession of firearms counts, and on two counts of armed assault on federal officers is violation of 18 U.S.C.A. § 111.

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Bluebook (online)
764 F.2d 763, 1985 U.S. App. LEXIS 30806, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-richard-a-rosen-robert-esson-rew-and-david-benton-holmes-ca11-1985.