United States v. Carol Amend, United States of America v. Carol Amend, 791 F.2d 1120, 4th Cir. (1986)
United States v. Carol Amend, United States of America v. Carol Amend, 791 F.2d 1120, 4th Cir. (1986)
United States v. Carol Amend, United States of America v. Carol Amend, 791 F.2d 1120, 4th Cir. (1986)
2d 1120
James Tucker, Assistant United States Attorney for the Southern District of
Mississippi, testified that Amend was convicted of conspiracy to import
marijuana and conspiracy to possess marijuana in federal court in the Southern
District of Mississippi in 1976. Her convictions resulted from her involvement
in the importation of 40,000 pounds of marijuana in 1975.
Bradford sailed the "Venganza" to Barneget Bay where he met Fillingham and
transferred the marijuana to the "Adrienne," a vessel which Fillingham had
provided for transport to shore. The smugglers then trucked the marijuana to a
house which Fillingham had rented. The marijuana was later moved to a house
which Amend and Kilpatrick had leased. Bradford and a crew member testified
that they saw Amend on Fillingham's boat, although another crew member
testified that he had not seen her. Several witnesses testified about the period in
which the marijuana was kept in the second "stash" house. Amend was present
at various times, and Patrice Bradford testified that Amend "acted as if [the
marijuana] was hers." John Black testified that Amend told him she owned the
"Venganza." He also testified that after the successful completion of the New
Jersey venture, she told him that she would give the offloaders a $3,000 bonus
for staying for a longer period than they had originally planned. Other
In May 1979, Amend was looking for offloading sites near Charleston, South
Carolina. By this time, Bradford had formed his own independent "offload
business." Amend hired him to provide his services for a single 25,000 pound
shipment into South Carolina to occur in June. Enno Brouwer testified that
Amend had instructed him to go to Dominica to await instructions. In
Dominica, she directed him to meet the mother ship, "The Golden Promise,"
which Fillingham owned. Amend paid Fillingham $140,000 for the use of the
vessel. Fillingham testified that he picked up the marijuana in Columbia and
took it to Dominica, where he met Amend and Kilpatrick. The marijuana was
then distributed among four sailboats. Amend hired two crew members for one
of the vessels and with Kilpatrick obtained Dennis Drum's services to take the
"Venganza" to Tortola. Kilpatrick subsequently directed Drum to move the
boat to Dominica. Fillingham testified that he and Amend owned two of the
boats, the "Venganza" and the "Scandal."
Kilpatrick informed Bradford that the marijuana would arrive at Port Royal
Sound, South Carolina on three boats instead of on one as originally planned.2
Bradford told Kilpatrick that his fee would be $1 million for this riskier plan.
Kilpatrick replied that he would have to check with Amend. Kilpatrick later
agreed to the new terms.
Barts, where she met Amend and Fillingham. Patrice and Amend then went to
Aruba, where Patrice acted as an interpreter between Amend and Gustavos
Diaz. Bradford later sent John Black to Guadeloupe, where Amend instructed
him to deliver the coordinates of the offload site to the captain of the "Dutch
Treat," which would carry the shipment to South Carolina.
11
Prior to the shipment, Bradford arranged accommodations for Amend and Tony
Locke on Seabrook Island. Allen Patterson, a contract "offloader," testified that
Locke acted "in the same capacity that Jerry Kilpatrick had, he was going to be
there at the unload and help and supervise and generally make sure we didn't
steal any of the marijuana." He also testified that when a Coast Guard ship
almost discovered the "Dutch Treat," Amend excitedly remarked, " 'You got to
do something, that's my boat and my crew and my load, what are you going to
do?' " Another participant testified that Amend owned the marijuana and
directed activities in general. The "Dutch Treat" safely unloaded approximately
22,000 pounds of marijuana on January 20, 1980.
II.
12
13
S.Ct. 1351, 43 L.Ed.2d 439 (1975). Count Nine of Amend's indictment in this
case charged that Amend:
14 engage in a Continuing Criminal Enterprise in that she did violate Title 21,
did
United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1), 846, 952, 960, and 963, which violations
were part of a continuing series of violations of said statutes undertaken by said
defendant in connection with at least five other persons, with respect to whom the
defendant occupied a position of organizer, supervisor, or manager, and from which
continuing series of violations the defendant obtained substantial income and
resources....
15
This count clearly tracks the language of the statute. 4 Moreover, the
government maintained an "open file" policy in this case and all information
identifying the alleged participants was available to Amend and her counsel.
Her counsel admits that prior to trial he obtained all necessary information from
the government's files. Amend, therefore, suffered no prejudice from any
alleged lack of specificity in this regard or from the denial of the bill of
particulars.
16
In this same vein, Amend also alleges that the portion of the indictment relating
to forfeiture was not sufficiently specific. The indictment charged that she
obtained substantial income and resources from the continuing series of
violations and that the United States was entitled to them by forfeiture. This
language was sufficient to apprise Amend that she could be deprived of any
interest in property acquired from drug-related profits. She asserts, however,
that the indictment was insufficient to meet the specificity requirements of Rule
7(c)(2) of the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure regarding the extent of
interests or property subject to forfeiture. Her contention lacks merit with
respect to the three assets which the jury specifically determined were
forfeitable, the vessels, the "Dutch Treat" and the "Scandal," and real property
in the form of "Renegade Ranch." We discuss, infra, the defects in the forfeiture
of other assets. With respect to the forfeiture of the vessels and the ranch, we
find that the government complied with Rule 7(c)(2), the essential purpose of
which is to provide persons with adequate notice of the extent to which
forfeiture is sought. United States v. Grammatikos, 633 F.2d 1013, 1024-25 (2d
Cir.1980). This court has held that the indictment need not describe each item
subject to forfeiture, but that "[t]his can be done in a bill of particulars." United
States v. Raimondo, 721 F.2d 476, 477 (4th Cir.1983), cert. denied, --- U.S. ----,
105 S.Ct. 133, 83 L.Ed.2d 74 (1984). Here, the government's "open file" policy
provided Amend with access to all information in the government's possession
and with adequate notice of its intention to seek forfeiture. This process gave
her adequate notice of the extent to which forfeiture was sought in the same
Amend next asserts that the district court erred by allowing the use of evidence
of her prior Mississippi conviction as proof of a predicate offense to the
continuing criminal enterprise charge and by not granting her motion for
judgment of acquittal. Amend maintains that the admissible evidence at trial
failed to establish beyond a reasonable doubt that she occupied a position as
organizer or supervisor with respect to a continuing series of violations of
federal narcotics laws. Amend correctly asserts that a continuing series of
violations requires a minimum of three such violations. United States v. Ricks,
776 F.2d 455, 463 & n. 13 (4th Cir.1985), reh'g granted, 784 F.2d 544 (1986).
We find, however, that the evidence at Amend's trial was sufficient to establish
her position as a manager or supervisor in at least three violations. In
considering an attack on the sufficiency of the evidence underlying a
conviction, this court must view the evidence 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); United States v. Jones, 735 F.2d 785, 790 (4th Cir.), cert.
denied, --- U.S. ----, 105 S.Ct. 297, 83 L.Ed.2d 232 (1984). Her challenge to her
CCE conviction on the ground that the Mississippi conviction could not be
considered a predicate offense fails because even without the evidence of that
conviction, the evidence at trial was sufficient to prove her involvement in at
least three violations, and that she occupied a managerial or supervisorial role
with respect to at least five persons. See United States v. Sinoto, 723 F.2d 1250,
1261 (6th Cir.1983), cert. denied, --- U.S. ----, 105 S.Ct. 86, 83 L.Ed.2d 33
(1984) (relationship requirement in a Sec. 848 case is flexible; relationshp with
five other individuals need not exist simultaneously). Specifically, the evidence
showed her managerial or supervisory role in: 1) the importation of 7,500
pounds of marijuana into Barnegat Bay, New Jersey in 1978 on the sailboat
"Venganza"; 2) the importation of 7,000 pounds of marijuana into Port Royal
Sound, South Carolina on June 3, 1979 on the sailboat "Scandal"; 3) the
importation of 7,500 pounds of marijuana on June 12, 1979, on the sailboat
"Serena"; and 4) the importation of 22,000 pounds of marijuana in South
Carolina on January 20, 1980.
18
There is likewise no merit to Amend's assertion that the trial court erroneously
charged the jury as to the elements of the CCE offense. The court charged:
19
There are four elements which the prosecution must prove beyond a reasonable
doubt in order to establish the guilt of the defendant as to the offense of
continuing enterprise. These elements are, first, that the defendant participated
in a continuing series of statutory violations. Two, that such participation was in
concert with at least five other persons.
20
21
Amend asserts that the instruction omitted the first element of the offense--that
the defendant have committed a felony violation of the federal narcotics law, as
part of a continuing series of violations, the second element. This instruction
could have indicated more clearly that the government was required to prove
that Amend had committed a felonious drug offense as part of a continuing
series of violations. Lurz, 666 F.2d at 75. Such an instruction would have
tracked 21 U.S.C. Sec. 848 more closely and stated explicitly that the CCE
offense contains five elements. The district court, however, simply combined
the first two elements, and we do not think the jury could have been confused
by this language which adequately describes all the elements of the crime. In
sum, the instruction did not lessen the government's burden of establishing a
violation of 21 U.S.C. Sec. 848. We also reject Amend's challenge to the district
court's refusal to instruct the jury on aiding and abetting as a lesser included
offense of the CCE count or to inform the jury as to the penalty for a Sec. 848
conviction.
22
23
Finally, Amend argues that the government failed to offer any evidence that the
assets subject to forfeiture were still in existence at the time of her conviction.
She relies upon United States v. Alexander, 741 F.2d 962 (7th Cir.1984) and
United States v. McManigal, 708 F.2d 276 (7th Cir.), vacated on other grounds,
464 U.S. 979, 104 S.Ct. 419, 78 L.Ed.2d 355 aff'd on remand, 723 F.2d 580
(7th Cir.1983). In United States v. Ginsburg, 773 F.2d 798, 802 (7th Cir.1985)
(en banc), cert. denied, --- U.S. ----, 106 S.Ct. 1186, 89 L.Ed.2d 302 (1986)
(No. 85-840), the Seventh Circuit, however, overruled the holding of these
prior cases that racketeers' profits no longer in existence at time of conviction
Having found no merit to most of the allegations of error which Amend has
presented to this court, we turn to an aspect of the trial which troubles us and
conclude that the district court committed prejudicial error concerning this one
phase of the forfeiture proceedings. The jury, in its special verdict form relating
to forfeiture, found that Amend had acquired her ownership interest in one, the
vessel "Dutch Treat," two, the vessel "Scandal," and three, certain real estate,
"Renegade Ranch", as a result of having engaged in a continuing criminal
enterprise. The jury in its fourth forfeiture finding also determined that she had
acquired her ownership in
25 profits obtained arising from Carol Amend's participation in this enterprise and
[A]ll
any interest, property and contractual rights of any kind affording a source of
influence over this enterprise from engaging in a continuing criminal enterprise, in
violation of Title 21, U.S.C. Sec. 848, as alleged in Count 9 of the Indictment.
26
Rule 31(e) of the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure provides for the
procedural implementation of the RICO criminal forfeiture provision, 18 U.S.C.
Sec. 1963, and the CCE forfeiture provision, 21 U.S.C. Secs. 848 and 853, and
requires a special verdict.7 United States v. Hess, 691 F.2d 188, 190 (4th
Cir.1982); Fed.Crim.P. 31(e) advisory committee note; see also 3 C. Wright,
Federal Practice and Procedure: Criminal 2d Sec. 512, at 9-10; Pianin, Criminal
Forfeiture: Attacking the Economic Dimension of Organized Narcotics
Trafficking, 32 Am.U.L.Rev. 227, 236-42 (1982). Forfeiture under the CCE
statute "is plainly a criminal matter as opposed to civil matter." United States v.
Garrett, 727 F.2d 1003, 1012 (11th Cir.1984), aff'd --- U.S. ----, 105 S.Ct. 2407,
85 L.Ed.2d 764 (1985). The actions are in personam, not in rem. Id. (quoting
United States v. Long, 654 F.2d 911, 914 (3d Cir.1981)). A defendant is
entitled to a jury trial on the issue of whether a particular asset is forfeitable. Id.
27
Following Amend's conviction, the district court instructed the jury that it had
to determine whether Amend had acquired her ownership interests in certain
specified assets, the two vessels and the ranch, as the result of having engaged
in a continuing criminal enterprise. It also instructed the jury that it was to
determine if "from engaging in a continuing criminal enterprise in violation of
this kingpin [CCE] statute" she had acquired her interest in "all profits obtained,
arising from [her] participation in this enterprise." The special jury verdict
reflected these instructions.8
28
After the jury verdict, the district court entered an order of forfeiture and
directed Amend to submit to an examination as a judgment debtor and to
furnish the government with information pertaining to her property. Based on
Amend's testimony, the district court issued two orders of forfeiture relating to
a bank account in the Bahamas and to a purebred Arabian horse.
29
30
Having determined that this part of the verdict was improper, we do not need to
decide the merits of Amend's challenge to the post-trial procedures which the
government used to identify the assets in this category, including deposits in the
Nassau, Bahamas bank and a purebred Arabian horse. The jury did not
determine the forfeitability of the defendant's interest in these assets according
to the requirements of Rule 31(e), and their forfeiture is invalid. We affirm the
forfeiture of the "Dutch Treat," the "Scandal" and the "Renegade Ranch."
31
In view of the above, the judgment of the district court is affirmed in part, and
reversed and vacated in part.
32
The Comprehensive Crime Control Act of 1984, Pub.L. No. 98-473, tit. II,
Secs. 303, 305, 98 Stat. 2044, 2050, amended 21 U.S.C. Sec. 848, effective
October 12, 1984, several days prior to Amend's trial. The changes do not affect
disposition of Amend's appeal, and, therefore, we need not determine the
application of the 1984 amendments to Amend's conviction
The jury also convicted her of conspiracy to import marijuana, conspiracy to
This venture coincided with the National Football League's "Super Bowl
Sunday." Both the appellant and the government use the Super Bowl reference
to designate this particular smuggling venture
The Seventh Circuit cases involved the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt
Organizations (RICO) chapter of the Organized Crime Control Act of 1970, 18
U.S.C. Sec. 1961 et seq. The RICO and CCE forfeiture provisions are similar.
The Seventh Circuit described the rationale for its holding very ably:
What the defendant's argument overlooks is the fact that a racketeer who
dissipates the profits or proceeds of his racketeering activity on wine, women
and song has profited from organized crime to the same extent as if he had put
the money in his bank account. Every dollar that the racketeer derives from
illicit activities and then spends on such items as food, entertainment, college
tuition, and charity, is a dollar that should not have been available for him to
spend for those purposes. In order to truly separate the racketeer from his
dishonest gains, therefore, the statute requires him to forfeit to the United
States the total mount of the proceeds of his racketeering activity, regardless of
whether the specific dollars received from that activity are still in his
possession.
Ginsburg, 773 F.2d at 802. In the Comprehensive Crime Control Act of 1984,
Congress amended the forfeiture provisions relating to both the RICO and CCE
statutes. Pub.L. No. 98-473, tit. II, Secs. 302, 303, 98 Stat. 2040-51 (1984). A
new section setting forth the forfeiture penalty applicable to 21 U.S.C. Sec.
848, 21 U.S.C. Sec. 853(c), provides that:
All right, title, and interest in property described in subsection (a) of this section
vests in the United States upon the commission of the act giving rise to
forfeiture under this section. Any such property that is subsequently transferred
to a person other than the defendant may be the subject of a special verdict of
forfeiture and thereafter shall be ordered forfeited to the United States, unless
the transferee establishes in a hearing pursuant to subsection (n) of this section
that he is a bona fide purchaser for value of such property who at the time of
purchase was reasonably without cause to believe that the property was subject
to forfeiture under this section.
Pub.L. No. 98-473, tit. II, 303, 98 Stat. 2045. The Ginsburg reasoning is
persuasive, and the government need not have offered evidence that the
forfeitable assets were still in existence at the time of Amend's conviction.
7
We, the Jury, find that defendant, Carol Amend, has acquired her ownershlp
interests in:
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