F I L E D
United States Court of Appeals
Tenth Circuit
UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS
JUN 4 2001
TENTH CIRCUIT
PATRICK FISHER
Clerk
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,
Plaintiff - Appellee,
vs. No. 99-2299
(D.C. No. CR-98-989-LH)
ANTHONY DARNETT OSBORNE, (D.N.M.)
Defendant - Appellant.
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,
Plaintiff - Appellee,
vs. No. 99-2300
(D.C. No. CR-98-989-2-LH)
KOREY WILLIAMS SANDUSKY, (D.N.M.)
Defendant - Appellant.
ORDER AND JUDGMENT *
Before SEYMOUR, PORFILIO, and KELLY, Circuit Judges.
Defendants-Appellants Anthony Osborne and Korey Sandusky were
*
This order and judgment is not binding precedent, except under the
doctrines of law of the case, res judicata, and collateral estoppel. This court
generally disfavors the citation of orders and judgments; nevertheless, an order
and judgment may be cited under the terms and conditions of 10th Cir. R. 36.3.
convicted of conspiracy to possess, with intent to distribute, more than 100
kilograms of marijuana. 21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1), 841(b)(1)(B), 846. Mr.
Sandusky was sentenced to 110 months imprisonment and 4 years supervised
release. Mr. Osborne was sentenced to 97 months imprisonment and 4 years of
supervised release. They now appeal their convictions and sentences. Since the
cases were tried together and the operative facts are the same, we have treated
both cases together for purposes of appeal. Our jurisdiction arises under 28
U.S.C. § 1291 and 18 U.S.C. § 3742(a) and we affirm.
I. Background
On December 3, 1998, Karen Wills was driving a white Toyota pickup
truck eastbound on Interstate 40 in Quay County, New Mexico when she was
pulled over by a county sheriff. II R. at 7-10. Ms. Wills was en route to Detroit,
Michigan, to deliver the truck for Mr. Osborne and Mr. Sandusky, id. at 131; V
R. at 78, who were following Ms. Wills in a Ford Mustang rental car driven by
Mr. Sandusky. II R. at 16, 63; V R. at 13. The sheriff noticed that the truck bed
was unusually shallow and suspected that the bed had been altered to transport
drugs. II R. at 14. He asked Ms. Wills if she was transporting drugs and she
stated that she was not. Id. at 16. Ms. Wills then consented to a search of the
truck. Id. at 16-17. Approximately 298 pounds of packaged marijuana was
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found in a hidden compartment underneath the truck bed. Id. at 20. The
packages were examined for fingerprints. V R. at 115. Neither Ms. Wills, Mr.
Osborne, nor Mr. Sandusky’s fingerprints were found on any of the packages. Id.
In the course of the search, the sheriff radioed ahead to a local village police
chief and asked him to stop the Mustang. II R. at 19. A consent search of the
vehicle revealed no evidence of drug trafficking. Id. at 63-65, 69.
Ms. Wills was charged with possession and conspiracy to possess, with
intent to distribute, more than 100 kilograms of marijuana, in violation of 21
U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1), 841(b)(1)(B), 846, 18 U.S.C. § 2. Based on Ms. Wills’
statement to a Drug Enforcement Agency Officer, Mr. Osborne and Mr. Sandusky
were also charged with conspiracy. I R. doc. 8. Ms. Wills pled guilty, id. doc.
66, and testified at Mr. Osborne’s and Mr. Sandusky’s trial. II R. at 85-134; V R.
at 4-81. We further develop the record below as is necessary for our disposition.
II. Discussion
Mr. Osborne asserts that the district court erred in instructing the jury on
“deliberate ignorance.” Mr. Sandusky argues that the evidence was insufficient
to support his conviction. Both Mr. Osborne and Mr. Sandusky contend that they
were denied due process under Apprendi v. New Jersey , 530 U.S. 466 (2000),
and that the district court erred in enhancing their sentences under U.S.S.G. §
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3B1.1 for their role as organizers.
A. “Deliberate Ignorance” Instruction
The jury was instructed that “knowingly,” as the term was used in the jury
instructions, meant that “the act was done voluntarily and intentionally” or that
Mr. Osborne was deliberately ignorant by “blind[ing] himself to the existence of
a fact.” 1 I R. doc. 51 (jury instruction no. 10). Mr. Osborne argues that this
instruction constitutes reversible error because there was no evidence that he
deliberately avoided knowledge of the conspiracy.
Because Mr. Osborne did not object to this instruction at trial, we review
for plain error. United States v. Concha , 233 F.3d 1249, 1251 (10th Cir. 2000) .
“To notice plain error under Fed. R. Crim. P. 52(b), the error must (1) be an
actual error that was forfeited; (2) be plain or obvious; and (3) affect substantial
rights, in other words, in most cases the error must be prejudicial, i.e. , it must
1
In its entirety, the instruction read:
The word “knowingly,” as that term has been used from time
to time in these instructions, means that the act was done voluntarily
and intentionally, not because of mistake or accident.
You may find that a defendant deliberately closed his eyes to
what would otherwise have been obvious to him. While knowledge
on the part of the defendant cannot be established merely by
demonstrating that the defendant was negligent, careless, or foolish,
knowledge can be inferred if the defendant deliberately blinded
himself to the existence of a fact.
I R. doc. 51 (jury instruction no. 10).
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have affected the outcome of the trial.” United States v. Keeling , 235 F.3d 533,
538 (10th Cir. 2000). Plain error is exceedingly difficult to assert in this context.
In United States v. Hanzlicek , 187 F.3d 1228 (10th Cir. 1999), where the
defendant had objected to the deliberate ignorance instruction, we held that a
properly-defined deliberate ignorance instruction, even when there is insufficient
evidence of deliberate ignorance, is harmless error where the jury also is
instructed on a theory of actual knowledge and there is sufficient evidence of
actual knowledge. Id. at 1234-36. While we have cautioned the district courts
that a deliberate ignorance instruction is rarely appropriate and that it should not
be given indiscriminately, id. at 1233, the instruction does not constitute
reversible error when there is evidence of actual knowledge.
Here, the jury was instructed on a theory of actual knowledge and there is
sufficient evidence to support Mr. Osborne’s actual knowledge of the conspiracy.
Where possible, Mr. Osborne and Mr. Sandusky consistently avoided any direct
connection to the truck, supporting the reasonable inference that they were aware
that the truck contained or would contain marijuana. Mr. Osborne and Mr.
Sandusky paid cash for the truck. V R. at 100-01. They also negotiated the
purchase, id. at 85-97, but the purchase was executed in Ms. Wills’ name. II R.
at 98-109; V R. at 31-32, 97. Moreover, Mr. Osborne and Mr. Sandusky refused
to disclose their identity until it became necessary to take possession of the truck.
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II R. at 105; V R. at 86, 99. Similarly, when the truck was repaired, either Mr.
Osborne or Mr. Sandusky paid for the repair, but Ms. Wills signed the service
order and receipt. II R. at 122-23.
On the day of purchase, Mr. Osborne took possession of the truck and Ms.
Wills did not see the truck for approximately 30 days thereafter. II R. at 110.
The truck did not have a tailgate. V R. at 97. Some time between the purchase
of the truck and December 2, Mr. Osborne spoke to someone at a body shop. Id.
at 51. At the time of Ms. Wills’ arrest, the truck was equipped with a tailgate as
well as the hidden compartment in which the marijuana was found. II R. at 18.
Just days before the trip to Detroit, Mr. Osborne and Mr. Sandusky were
anxious to have the truck repaired immediately, and refused to leave the truck
overnight at the repair shop to be repaired the following day. Id. at 114-16. In
fact, when one particular shop told Mr. Osborne and Mr. Sandusky that the truck
could not be repaired that same day, they attempted to pay a mechanic $200 in
cash. Id. at 116. When the mechanic refused, the offer “kept going up.” Id.
Also significant is the fact that the truck was parked some distance from, but
within sight of, Mr. Osborne and Mr. Sandusky’s apartment. Id. at 118. Mr.
Osborne and Mr. Sandusky looked out the window at the truck every one to two
hours. Id.
Immediately before leaving for Detroit, Ms. Wills noticed that Mr. Osborne
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and Mr. Sandusky “weren’t acting normal,” and that Mr. Sandusky was “acting
funny.” V R. at 75. Furthermore, immediately before and during the trip to
Detroit, neither Mr. Sandusky nor Mr. Osborne drove or rode in the truck. II R.
at 119, 131. Throughout the trip to Detroit until Ms. Wills’ arrest, either Mr.
Osborne or Mr. Sandusky paid for all of Ms. Wills’ expenses; id. at 133; V R. at
5, 9; however, the motel room in which they stayed was placed in Ms. Wills’
name, and she signed the receipt. V R. at 7-9. Mr. Osborne and Mr. Sandusky
routinely followed Ms. Wills in the Mustang. Id. at 76.
After the sheriff stopped Ms. Wills, Mr. Osborne and Mr. Sandusky passed
the sheriff in the Mustang and “were looking at [him] pretty hard” and
“continued looking at [him] . . . .” II R. at 13. When stopped by a police officer
several miles down the highway, Mr. Osborne and Mr. Sandusky disavowed any
knowledge of the very truck they had purchased just one month prior. Id. at 64.
The evidence is plainly sufficient to establish actual knowledge by Mr.
Osborne. A conviction may be based solely upon circumstantial evidence and
reasonable inferences drawn therefrom. United States v. Sanders , 240 F.3d 1279,
1281 (10th Cir. 2001). Moreover, the mere fact that the circumstantial evidence
consisted primarily of Ms. Wills’ testimony does not render that evidence
insufficient; the jury was properly instructed to weigh her testimony as an
accomplice with great caution and care. Cf. United States v. Gardner , 244 F.3d
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784, 789-90 (10th Cir. 2001).
B. Sufficiency of the Evidence
Mr. Sandusky argues that there was insufficient evidence to support his
conspiracy conviction. We review the evidence de novo to determine whether,
after viewing both direct and circumstantial evidence and the reasonable
inferences drawn therefrom in a light most favorable to the government, any
rational trier of fact could have found Mr. Sandusky guilty beyond a reasonable
doubt. Sanders , 240 F.3d at 1281. In making this determination, we do not
weigh conflicting evidence or examine the credibility of the witnesses. Id.
“While the jury may draw reasonable inferences from direct or circumstantial
evidence, an inference must be more than speculation and conjecture to be
reasonable, and caution must be taken that the conviction not be obtained by
piling inference on inference.” United States v. Jones, 44 F.3d 860, 865 (10th
Cir. 1995) (citations and internal quotations). A reasonable inference is one that
“flows from logical and probabilistic reasoning . . . .” Id. There must be a
“reasonable probability that the conclusion flows from the proven facts.” Id.
(citation and internal quotations omitted).
“To prove a conspiracy in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 846, the evidence must
establish: (1) an agreement with another person to violate the law, (2) knowledge
of the essential objectives of the conspiracy, (3) knowing and voluntary
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involvement, and (4) interdependence among the alleged conspirators.” United
States v. Heckard , 238 F.3d 1222, 1229 (10th Cir. 2001) (citation and internal
quotations omitted). “An agreement constituting a conspiracy may be inferred
from the acts of the parties and other circumstantial evidence indicating concert
of action for the accomplishment of a common purpose.” United States v.
Johnson , 42 F.3d 1312, 1319 (10th Cir. 1994) (citation omitted). As we
explained in Jones , “[t]he government must prove guilty knowledge: an implicit
or explicit agreement to enter into a known conspiracy with a known objective.”
44 F.3d at 865.
Mr. Sandusky secured the vehicle in which the drugs were found. With
Mr. Osborne, Mr. Sandusky negotiated the purchase of the truck and was in
possession of over $11,000 cash tendered for the purchase. Cf. Jones , 44 F.3d at
870. He then disavowed any knowledge of the truck that he had in fact
purchased one month prior, strongly suggestive of guilty knowledge. Cf. id. at
870. A rational trier of fact could easily conclude that Mr. Sandusky agreed with
Ms. Wills and Mr. Osborne to transport drugs and that he knowingly and
voluntarily participated in the conspiracy, the object of which he had knowledge.
Mr. Sandusky was not only aware that the truck contained marijuana, but was
also an active participant in the scheme to transport it to Detroit. The steps taken
in this marijuana transport operation illustrate the interdependence among the
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conspirators.
Other evidence supports this conclusion that Mr. Sandusky was involved in
a conspiracy. We have already recounted much of the evidence in our analysis of
the “deliberate ignorance” instruction. Additionally, Mr. Sandusky appeared to
take evasive action designed to deflect attention away from Ms. Wills when she
was pulled over. As the sheriff attempted to catch up with Ms. Wills in the truck,
Mr. Sandusky abruptly changed lanes in front of the sheriff, forcing him to brake
to avoid a collision with the Mustang. II R. at 8. Mr. Sandusky, now directly in
front of the officer, “was driving fast and then slowing down, driving fast and
then slowing down.” Id. at 9. The left side of the Mustang was traveling on the
inside shoulder of the interstate. Id. at 10. This evidence also supports the jury’s
implicit finding of actual knowledge. Contrary to Mr. Sandusky’s suggestion, the
government was not required to present evidence that he modified the truck bed,
purchased the marijuana, placed it in the truck, and negotiated the marijuana
purchase. Aplt. Br. (Sandusky) at 13-15.
C. Apprendi
1. Drug Quantity
Mr. Osborne and Mr. Sandusky were each charged with conspiring to
possess, with the intent to distribute, “more [than] 100 kilograms of Marijuana,”
in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 841(b)(1)(B). I R. doc. 8, at 1. The quantity of the
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marijuana found in the truck was not disputed at trial. However, the quantity was
not submitted to the jury as an element of the offense which the jury was required
to find beyond a reasonable doubt. Id. doc. 50 (jury instruction no. 9). Neither
Mr. Osborne nor Mr. Sandusky objected to this instruction. V R. at 113. At
sentencing, the district court found that the amount of marijuana found in the
truck was 135.68 kilograms. III R. at 20 (Osborne sentencing); IV R. at 23
(Sandusky sentencing). Mr. Osborne and Mr. Sandusky argue that they were
sentenced in violation of Apprendi . We disagree.
Since neither Mr. Osborne nor Mr. Sandusky objected to the jury
instructions, we review their Apprendi challenges for plain error. Keeling , 235
F.3d at 538. In Apprendi , the Supreme Court “established the rule that ‘[o]ther
than the fact of a prior conviction, any fact that increases the penalty for a crime
beyond the prescribed statutory maximum must be submitted to a jury, and
proved beyond a reasonable doubt.’” Heckard , 238 F.3d at 1234 (quoting
Apprendi , 530 U.S. at 490). Apprendi “presents a new rule of constitutional
criminal procedure, and thus should be applied retroactively to cases pending on
direct review.” Id. Apprendi applies to § 841(b). Keeling , 235 F.3d at 538.
i. Mr. Osborne’s Sentence
The district court did not commit plain error under Apprendi . Mr.
Osborne’s sentence did not exceed the statutory maximum of the most lenient
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provision applicable to marijuana possession offenses: § 841(b)(1)(D). Under §
841(b)(1)(D), which applies to offenses involving less than 50 kilograms of
marijuana, Mr. Osborne could have received 10 years imprisonment and 4 years
of supervised release because he had previously been convicted of a felony drug
offense. III R. at 20. Therefore, the district court’s failure to submit the quantity
of marijuana as an element of Mr. Osborne’s offense to the jury was not error
because his sentence of 97 months imprisonment and 4 years of supervised
release did not exceed the lowest possible statutory maximum. United States v.
Wilson , 244 F.3d 1208, 1215 n.4 (10th Cir. 2001).
ii. Mr. Sandusky’s Sentence
Because Mr. Sandusky had no prior drug felony conviction, his sentence of
110 months imprisonment and 4 years of supervised release exceeded the
statutory maximum under § 841(b)(1)(D). As in Keeling , Mr. Sandusky argues
that under Apprendi he should have been sentenced under § 841(b)(1)(D),
thereby receiving only 5 years’ imprisonment and as few as 2 years of supervised
release. We agree that the district court committed plain error in failing to
submit quantity to the jury. See Wilson , 244 F.3d at 1215 n.4. We do not,
however, notice the error. Mr. Sandusky was not actually innocent; nor did the
error seriously affected the “fairness, integrity or public reputation of judicial
proceedings.” Keeling , 235 F.3d at 538 (quotations and citation omitted). At
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trial, there was uncontroverted, overwhelming testimony that approximately 298
pounds of marijuana were found in the truck. Cf. id. at 538-40. There was no
evidence adduced at trial to raise a reasonable doubt as to quantity. Cf. id.
2. Mr. Sandusky’s Leadership Role
As explained in more detail in Section D infra , Mr. Sandusky’s and Mr.
Osborne’s offense levels were increased 2 points for their leadership role in the
crime. Because this sentencing factor was not submitted to the jury, Mr.
Sandusky argues that he was sentenced in violation of Apprendi . In light of our
holding above that Mr. Sandusky was properly sentenced to 110 months
imprisonment and could have been sentenced to 120 months, it follows that the 2-
level enhancement did not increase his sentence beyond the statutory maximum.
Accordingly, “his sentence does not run afoul of the rule in Apprendi .” United
States v. Sullivan , 242 F.3d 1248, 1257 (10th Cir. 2001).
D. Sentence Enhancements
At sentencing, the district court adopted the factual findings in the
presentence reports and found that Mr. Osborne and Mr. Sandusky were
organizers, managers, and supervisors in the conspiracy. III R. at 20; IV R. at
18, 23. The district court therefore increased Mr. Osborne’s and Mr. Sandusky’s
offense levels by 2 points pursuant to U.S.S.G. § 3B1.1(c). III R. at 20 (adopting
guideline applications in presentence report); IV R. at 23 (adopting guideline
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applications in presentence report . Mr. Osborne and Mr. Sandusky argue that
the district court erred concluding that they were organizers.
We review the district court’s determination that a defendant is an
organizer for clear error. United States v. Anderson , 189 F.3d 1201, 1211 (10th
Cir. 1999). One may be an organizer based upon the planning of a criminal
scheme or by controlling others. Id. at 1270. More than one participant in the
criminal activity can qualify as an organizer. U.S.S.G. § 3B1.1, cmt. 4.
The district court’s ultimate finding that Mr. Osborne and Mr. Sandusky
were “organizers” is amply supported by the evidence. We reject the notion that
the information upon which the court relied is not sufficiently reliable. The
district court found Mr. Osborne directed the conspiracy and that Ms. Wills was
Mr. Osborne’s “pawn.” III R. at 19. Mr. Osborne purchased the truck and rented
the Mustang used to transport the marijuana to Detroit. Mr. Sandusky
orchestrated the purchase of the truck and oversaw the repair of the truck. We
see no clear error in the district court’s finding that Mr. Osborne and Mr.
Sandusky “determined the path, the course that the vehicles would follow, who
would go in the lead and who would be following. They determined where they
would stay along the way.” IV R. at 18.
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AFFIRMED.
Entered for the Court
Paul J. Kelly, Jr.
Circuit Judge
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