United States v. Williams

643 F. App'x 933
Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit·Decided February 26, 2016·No. No. 14-14086·Published·Cited by 1 cases

Opinion

PER CURIAM:

After a jury trial, Kenneth Williams was convicted of two counts of distributing crack cocaine and one count of possessing with intent to distribute crack cocaine, all in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1) and (b)(1)(C). He appeals his convictions and total sentence on various grounds. After careful review, we affirm.

I.

Williams first argues that insufficient evidence supported his convictions. He contends that the government’s case relied almost entirely on circumstantial evidence from an unreliable witness whose testimony was unworthy of belief.

Generally, we review de novo whether sufficient evidence supports a jury’s verdict in a criminal trial.1 United States v. Howard, 742 F.3d 1334, 1341 (11th Cir.2014). We view the evidence presented at trial, and draw all reasonable inferences therefrom, in the light most favorable to the government. United States v. Hansen, 262 F.3d 1217, 1236 (11th Cir.2001). We will not disturb a guilty verdict unless no reasonable trier of fact could have found that the evidence establishes the defendant’s guilt. Howard, 742 F.3d at 1341; United States v. Rodriguez, 218 F.3d 1243, 1244 (11th Cir.2000).

“The jury gets to make any credibility choices, and we will assume that they made them all in the way that supports the verdict.” United States v. Thompson, 473 F.3d 1137, 1142 (11th Cir.2006). We will not revisit the question of witness credibility unless the testimony is incredible as a matter of law. United States v. Feliciano, 761 F.3d 1202, 1206 (11th Cir.) cert. denied, — U.S. -, 135 S.Ct. 735, 190 L.Ed.2d 459 (2014). For testimony to be considered incredible, it must be unbelievable on its face, such as testimony as to facts that the witness physically could not have observed or events contrary to the laws of nature. Id.

All of Williams’s convictions fall under 21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1).2 To sustain a conviction for distribution of crack cocaine, the government must show that the defendant knowingly or intentionally distributed or dispensed cocaine base. 21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1). To sustain a conviction for possession with intent to distribute crack cocaine, the government must demonstrate that the defendant knowingly possessed the controlled substance with the intent to distribute it. See United States v. Hernandez, 433 F.3d 1328, 1333 (11th Cir.2005). Intent to distribute can be inferred from the amount of cocaine base involved. See id.

Here, viewing the trial evidence in the light most favorable to the government, sufficient evidence supports Williams’s convictions for distributing crack cocaine and possessing with intent to distribute crack cocaine. The jury heard evidence that a confidential source, Ked-[937]*937rick Odom (occasionally “Odum” in the record), purchased crack cocaine from Williams on two occasions, in October 2012 and January 2013, as part of controlled buys organized by the Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”) and state and local law-enforcement agencies. Odom testified that, on both occasions, he called Williams to set up the purchases, met Williams at a designated location (Williams’s residence and a gas station), and then purchased from Williams around $400 worth of crack cocaine, which he then gave to the DEA. Odom was- searched by agents before and after the controlled buys, and the phone calls and transactions were monitored by DEA agents. One of the DEA agents accompanied Odom to the controlled buys and personally witnessed Odom meeting with Williams and, shortly thereafter, returning with the crack cocaine. Odom also testified that he had purchased $100 to $400 worth of crack cocaine from Williams on approximately forty to fifty prior occasions.

Nothing about Odom’s testimony — based on personal knowledge and largely corroborated by DEA agents — was incredible as a matter of law. Moreover, the jury heard the negative information about Odom that Williams cites on appeal, such as Odom’s personal drug dealing while working with another law-enforcement agency and the fact that Odom’s help on Williams’s case benefitted Odom both legally and financially. Despite these facts, the jury apparently found his testimony to be credible. We defer to the jury’s credibility determination. See Feliciano, 761 F.3d at 1206; Thompson, 473 F.3d at 1142.

The jury also heard testimony regarding the execution of a search warrant at Williams’s residence in February 2013. While executing the search warrant on Williams’s home, officers found 6.7 grams of crack cocaine in the house, as well as $4,000 in a safe that, according to one of the DEA agents, smelled of cocaine. Williams admitted to an agent that both the safe and the money were his. The jury also heard from Brian Lammers, a DEA agent involved in the search of Williams’s residence, who testified that Williams stated during the search that he-had not been employed since 2005. Lam-mers also testified that there were three vehicles at the residence at the time of the search, two of which had been used by Williams during the controlled buys.

In light of evidence regarding the two controlled buys, William’s prior dealings with Odom, the $4,000 cash in the safe, the crack cocaine found at Williams’s residence, and William’s lack of employment and unexplained wealth, a reasonable jury could have concluded that Williams knowingly distributed crack cocaine and knowingly possessed with the intent to distribute crack cocaine. See 21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1); Hernandez, 433 F.3d at 1333. Because sufficient evidence supports his convictions, the district court did not err in denying Williams’s motion for judgment of acquittal.

II.

Williams next argues that the district court abused its discretion in admitting evidence of the following: (1) his lack of employment coupled with unexplained wealth; and (2) a 2001 Florida judgment of conviction for possession of cocaine and sale of cocaine.

We review a district court’s evidentiary rulings for an abuse of discretion. United States v. House, 684 F.3d 1173, 1197 (11th Cir.2012). Evidentiary errors are subject to review for harmlessness. Id. A non-constitutional evidentiary error does not warrant reversal unless there is a reasonable likelihood that the error affected the defendant’s substantial rights. Id.; Unit[938]*938ed States v. Hands, 184 F.3d 1322, 1329 (11th Cir.1999).

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United States v. Williams, 643 F. App'x 933 (11th Cir. 2016).

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