United States v. Shannon Phalo

283 F. App'x 757
CourtCourt of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit
DecidedJune 26, 2008
Docket07-15024
StatusUnpublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 283 F. App'x 757 (United States v. Shannon Phalo) 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. Shannon Phalo, 283 F. App'x 757 (11th Cir. 2008).

Opinion

PER CURIAM:

Appellants Shannon Phalo, David Clinton, and Danny Antonio Sellers, who were jointly tried, convicted, and sentenced for participating in a scheme to possess and distribute cocaine base, challenge both their convictions and sentences on direct appeal. For the reasons that follow, we affirm in part, vacate in part, and remand for further proceedings.

I.

Phalo, Clinton, and Sellers were each charged with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute more than 50 grams of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of crack cocaine, in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1) and (b)(1)(A), and 846 (Count 1). The indictment specifically alleged that the conspiracy occurred from on or about January 2005 through on or about February 21, 2007. Sellers was also charged with knowingly possessing with intent to distribute less than 5 grams of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of crack (Count 2), and was charged along with Phalo of another offense involving less than 5 grams of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of crack, both in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1) and (b)(1)(C) (Count 15). Clinton was also charged with knowingly possessing with intent to distribute approximately 4.8 grams of cocaine (Count 5), approximately 7.4 grams of cocaine (Count 6), approximately 2.2 grams of cocaine (Count 7), less than 5 grams of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of cocaine base (Count 8), and approximately 2.1 grams of cocaine (Count 9), all in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1) and (b)(1)(C).

After trial, a jury convicted Phalo and Sellers of the conspiracy, but acquitted Clinton. The jury determined that the conspiracy involved 50 grams or more of cocaine base. The jury also convicted Phalo and Sellers on Count 15; acquitted Sellers on Count Two; and convicted Clinton on Counts Five, Six, and Seven, and acquitted him on Counts Eight and Nine.

At sentencing, all three defendants objected to the statement in their presentence investigation reports (“PSI”) that each was responsible for 1.5 kilograms or more of cocaine base (“crack cocaine”). The district court overruled these objections and indicated, with respect to Phalo and Clinton, but not Sellers, that it would have imposed the same sentence even if the guidelines were erroneously calculated. Ultimately, the court sentenced Phalo to serve a total of 292 months imprisonment, Clinton to serve a total of 240 months imprisonment, and Sellers to serve 262 months imprisonment. They then perfected this appeal.

II.

Sellers and Phalo raise two evidentiary arguments on appeal, respectively. Sell *760 ers contends that the district court violated his right to a fair trial by permitting the government to present evidence of a drug transaction that occurred after the return of the indictment. Phalo, in turn, contends that the district court erred in denying his motion for acquittal because a material variance occurred at trial when the government introduced evidence of multiple conspiracies, other than the one in which he was charged.

As to their sentences, all three defendants contend that the district court erred in calculating the amount of drugs for which they were responsible. Clinton contends that his sentence is unreasonable because of the erroneous calculation, and because the district court erroneously enhanced his offense level for being a manager or supervisor. Phalo also contends that the district court erred by failing to apply the November 2007 sentencing guidelines at his sentencing on September 27, 2007.

A.

We review evidentiary rulings for an abuse of discretion. United States v. Kennard, 472 F.3d 851, 854 (11th Cir.2006). “In reviewing issues under Rule 403, we look at the evidence in a light most favorable to its admission, maximizing its probative value and minimizing its undue prejudicial impact.” United States v. Tinoco, 304 F.3d 1088, 1120 (11th Cir.2002) (internal quotation marks omitted). When a timely objection is made, we must determine whether any error is harmless, which means that “the purported error had no substantial influence on the outcome and sufficient evidence uninfected by error supports the verdict.” United States v. Dickerson, 248 F.3d 1036, 1048 (11th Cir.2001) (quotation marks omitted); see also Fed.R.Crim.P. 52(a). The jury has exclusive province over the determination of the credibility of witnesses, and a court of appeals may not revisit the issue. United States v. Chastain, 198 F.3d 1338, 1351 (11th Cir.1999).

Under the Federal Rules of Evidence, “[e]vidence of other crimes, wrongs, or acts is not admissible to prove the character of a person in order to show action in conformity therewith. It may, however, be admissible for other purposes, such as proof of motive, opportunity, intent, preparation, plan, knowledge, identity, or absence of mistake or accident.” Fed. R.Evid. 404(b).

Evidence of criminal activity other than the offense charged is not extrinsic under Rule 404(b) if it is (1) an uncharged offense which arose out of the same transaction or series of transactions as the charged offense, (2) necessary to complete the story of the crime, or (3) inextricably intertwined with the evidence regarding the charged offense.

United States v. Veltmann, 6 F.3d 1483, 1498 (11th Cir.1993). “Other transactions connected with the offenses charged have long been used to show a general pattern, the necessary criminal intent, or the guilty knowledge of the defendant.” United States v. Muscatell, 42 F.3d 627, 631 (11th Cir.1995) (quotation marks and brackets omitted) (holding that challenged testimony was intrinsic to the crimes charged).

Under the Federal Rules of Evidence, all relevant evidence is admissible, and irrelevant evidence is inadmissible. Fed. R.Evid. 402. “The standard for what constitutes relevant evidence is a low one: evidence is relevant if it has ‘any tendency to make the existence of any fact that is of consequence to the determination of the action more probable or less probable than it would be without the evidence.’ ” Tinoco, 304 F.3d at 1120 (quoting Fed.R.Evid. 401).

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283 F. App'x 757, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-shannon-phalo-ca11-2008.