United States v. Timotheus Gersom Reed

CourtCourt of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit
DecidedJune 19, 2019
Docket18-11680
StatusUnpublished

This text of United States v. Timotheus Gersom Reed (United States v. Timotheus Gersom Reed) 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. Timotheus Gersom Reed, (11th Cir. 2019).

Opinion

Case: 18-11680 Date Filed: 06/19/2019 Page: 1 of 17

[DO NOT PUBLISH]

IN THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS

FOR THE ELEVENTH CIRCUIT ________________________

No. 18-11680 Non-Argument Calendar ________________________

D.C. Docket No. 5:17-cr-00019-RBD-PRL-3

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,

Plaintiff–Appellee,

versus

TIMOTHEUS GERSOM REED, AVERY LEANARD TUMER, Defendant–Appellants.

________________________

Appeals from the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida ________________________

(June 19, 2019)

Before MARCUS, JORDAN and BRANCH, Circuit Judges.

PER CURIAM:

Avery Tumer and Timotheus Reed appeal their convictions for conspiracy to

commit carjacking and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence.

Tumer also appeals his conviction for carjacking and the denial of his motion to Case: 18-11680 Date Filed: 06/19/2019 Page: 2 of 17

continue sentencing. Several issues are raised on appeal: (1) both defendants argue

that the district court erred in denying their separate motions for a judgment of

acquittal of their convictions for conspiracy to commit carjacking because the

government failed to produce any evidence that two or more people willfully agreed

to carjack the victim; (2) Reed argues that the district court erred in denying his

motion for a judgment of acquittal of his conviction for possession of a firearm in

furtherance of a crime of violence; (3) Tumer argues that the district court erred in

denying his motion for a judgment of acquittal of his conviction for carjacking; (4)

both defendants argue that the court abused its discretion in admitting evidence of

an uncharged conspiracy to rob another person; and (5) Tumer argues that the court

abused its discretion by denying his motion to continue sentencing pending review

of cases addressing the constitutionality of 18 U.S.C. § 924(c)(3)(B). After thorough

review, we affirm in part, reverse in part, and vacate and remand.

We review de novo whether sufficient evidence supports a conviction,

viewing the record in the light most favorable to the government, and resolving all

reasonable inferences in favor of the verdict. United States v. Jiminez, 564 F.3d

1280, 1284 (11th Cir. 2009). We review a district court’s evidentiary rulings for

abuse of discretion. United States v. Dodds, 347 F.3d 893, 897 (11th Cir. 2003).

We also review for abuse of discretion a district court’s denial of a motion to

continue sentencing. United States v. Edouard, 485 F.3d 1324, 1350 (11th Cir.

2 Case: 18-11680 Date Filed: 06/19/2019 Page: 3 of 17

2007). The defendant must show both that the denial was an abuse of discretion and

produced substantial prejudice, and we focus on the reasons for the continuance

offered to the trial court. Id.

I.

First, we are persuaded by the defendants’ argument that there was insufficient

evidence to support their convictions for conspiracy to commit carjacking (Count

One). Evidence is sufficient to sustain a count of conviction if a reasonable trier of

fact could find that the evidence established the defendant’s guilt beyond a

reasonable doubt. Jiminez, 564 F.3d at 1284-85. It is not enough for a defendant to

put forth a reasonable hypothesis of innocence, since the issue is not whether a jury

reasonably could have acquitted, but whether it reasonably could have found the

defendant guilty. Id. at 1285. The test for sufficiency is the same regardless of

whether the evidence is direct or circumstantial, but where the government relied on

circumstantial evidence, “reasonable inferences, not mere speculation, must support

the conviction.” United States v. Martin, 803 F.3d 581, 587 (11th Cir. 2015)

(quotation omitted). Credibility questions are the sole province of the jury. United

States v. Schmitz, 634 F.3d 1247, 1269 (11th Cir. 2011). We assume the jury made

all credibility choices in support of the verdict. Jiminez, 564 F.3d at 1285.

To prove conspiracy under 18 U.S.C. § 371, the government must show: (1)

the existence of an agreement to achieve an unlawful goal; (2) the defendant

3 Case: 18-11680 Date Filed: 06/19/2019 Page: 4 of 17

willingly and knowingly participated in the conspiracy; and (3) the defendant

committed an overt act in furtherance of the conspiracy. United States v. Ibarguen-

Mosquera, 634 F.3d 1370, 1385 (11th Cir. 2011). A conspiracy may be proven via

circumstantial evidence, and the factfinding should not be disturbed if supported by

the evidence. Id. The agreement need not have been formal, and proof that the

defendant committed an act in furtherance of the conspiracy is the type of

circumstantial evidence that can be used to prove the existence of an agreement.

United States v. Moore, 525 F.3d 1033, 1040 (11th Cir. 2008). A defendant may be

found guilty of conspiracy if he knows of the “essential objective” of the conspiracy,

even if he did not know all of the details of the conspiracy or only played a minor

role within the scheme. United States v. McNair, 605 F.3d 1152, 1195–96 (11th Cir.

2010). The crux of the agreement element in a conspiracy case is that the

government must prove a “meeting of the minds” to achieve the unlawful result.

United States v. Arbane, 446 F.3d 1223, 1229 (11th Cir. 2006).

To prove carjacking under 18 U.S.C. § 2119, “the government must prove that

the defendant (1) with intent to cause death or serious bodily harm (2) took a motor

vehicle (3) that had been transported, shipped or received in interstate or foreign

commerce (4) from the person or presence of another (5) by force and violence or

intimidation.” United States v. Diaz, 248 F.3d 1065, 1096 (11th Cir. 2001)

(quotation omitted). The “intent” requirement is satisfied when the government

4 Case: 18-11680 Date Filed: 06/19/2019 Page: 5 of 17

proves that the defendant intended to seriously harm or kill the vehicle’s driver, at

the moment the defendant demanded or took control of the vehicle, in order to steal

the car. Holloway v. United States, 526 U.S. 1, 12 (1999).

In Count One, co-conspirators Avery Tumer, Timotheous Reed, and Jonathan

Lanier were charged with conspiracy to carjack victim Christopher Gist’s vehicle.

A thorough review of the record reveals, however, that while there was ample

evidence that the three co-conspirators conspired to rob Gist of drugs and money,

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Related

United States v. McCutcheon
86 F.3d 187 (Eleventh Circuit, 1996)
United States v. Diaz
248 F.3d 1065 (Eleventh Circuit, 2001)
United States v. Dodds
347 F.3d 893 (Eleventh Circuit, 2003)
United States v. Mehrzad Arbane
446 F.3d 1223 (Eleventh Circuit, 2006)
United States v. Serge Edouard
485 F.3d 1324 (Eleventh Circuit, 2007)
United States v. Moore
525 F.3d 1033 (Eleventh Circuit, 2008)
United States v. Jiminez
564 F.3d 1280 (Eleventh Circuit, 2009)
Pinkerton v. United States
328 U.S. 640 (Supreme Court, 1946)
Holloway v. United States
526 U.S. 1 (Supreme Court, 1999)
United States v. McNair
605 F.3d 1152 (Eleventh Circuit, 2010)
United States v. Alfaro-Moncada
607 F.3d 720 (Eleventh Circuit, 2010)
United States v. Ever Balbino Ibarguen-Mosquera
634 F.3d 1370 (Eleventh Circuit, 2011)
United States v. Schmitz
634 F.3d 1247 (Eleventh Circuit, 2011)
United States v. Langford
647 F.3d 1309 (Eleventh Circuit, 2011)
United States v. Mothersill
87 F.3d 1214 (Eleventh Circuit, 1996)
United States v. Kenneth Lamar Madden
733 F.3d 1314 (Eleventh Circuit, 2013)
Rosemond v. United States
134 S. Ct. 1240 (Supreme Court, 2014)
United States v. Charles Andrew Fowler
749 F.3d 1010 (Eleventh Circuit, 2014)
United States v. Yosany Sosa
777 F.3d 1279 (Eleventh Circuit, 2015)

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