STATE OF FLORIDA, APPELLANT,
v.
RONNIE RUSSELL, APPELLEE
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Florida appeals the dismissal of RICO and conspiracy charges against Russell and seven co-defendants. The court affirmed the RICO dismissal for insufficient evidence of a criminal enterprise but reversed the conspiracy dismissal, finding prima facie evidence of conspiracy between Russell and at least one co-defendant.
The RICO charge was properly dismissed because the state failed to establish the existence of a criminal enterprise with an identifiable decision-making structure. The conspiracy charge was improperly dismissed because the state presented sufficient prima facie evidence of an agreement and intent to commit cocaine trafficking between Russell and at least one co-defendant.
[1] A motion to dismiss in a criminal proceeding must demonstrate that undisputed material facts fail to establish a prima facie case of guilt or a valid defense.
[2] To prove the existence of a criminal enterprise for RICO purposes, the state must present evidence of an ongoing organization with associates functioning as a unit, an id…
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Join FLexlaw to unlock all legal intelligence“In order to prove the existence of an enterprise, the state must present evidence of an ongoing organization, formal or informal, with various associates who function as a unit... The state must also show that the group has an identifiable decision making structure and a mechanism for controlling and directing the group on an ongoing basis.”
Establishes the requirements for proving a criminal enterprise under RICO
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Join FLexlaw to unlock all legal intelligenceThe state charged Russell and seven other defendants with three counts of cocaine possession, two counts of cocaine trafficking, one count of cocaine …
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PER CURIAM.
The State of Florida challenges the trial court’s final order granting the appellee’s, Ronnie Russell, motion to dismiss a RICO charge and a conspiracy charge. We affirm the dismissal of the RICO charge but reverse the dismissal of the conspiracy charge.
The state charged the appellee along with seven other defendants with three counts of possession of cocaine, two counts of trafficking in cocaine, one count of delivery of cocaine, one count of conspiracy to traffic in cocaine, and one count of a RICO violation. The appellee filed a motion to dismiss. The trial court dismissed the con spiracy count and the RICO count. The state filed a timely notice of appeal.
A motion to dismiss in a criminal proceeding must demonstrate that the undisputed material facts fail to establish a prima facie case of guilt or a valid defense. State v. Anderson, 536 So. 2d 1166 (Fla. 2d DCA 1988). We affirm the dismissal of the RICO charge because the state failed to make a prima facie showing of the existence of a criminal enterprise. Boyd v. State, 578 So. 2d 718 (Fla. 3d DCA), review denied, 581 So. 2d 1310 (Fla.1991).
In order to prove the existence of an enterprise, the state must present evidence of an ongoing organization, formal or informal, with various associates who function as a unit. Boyd. The state must also show that the group has an identifiable decision making structure and a mechanism for controlling and directing the group on an ongoing basis. Boyd. There was no evidence of an identifiable decision making structure for directing the group as a whole. The state’s only evidence consisted of recorded telephone conversations between appellee and one of the other defendants which only indicated buy/sell transactions between those two. Since the state failed to make a prima facie showing of the element of a criminal enterprise, the trial court properly dismissed the RICO charge.
The state did, however, make a pri-ma facie showing of the elements of a conspiracy charge against the appellee and at least one of the other codefendants. The trial court dismissed the conspiracy count against all eight defendants based on the belief that the state had to show all eight conspired together. The state appealed the dismissal of the conspiracy count only as to appellee and two of the other codefendants. The appeal of the other two codefendants is being considered separately.
The state charged all eight defendants as conspiring “amongst and between” themselves. A conspiracy conviction for one defendant cannot be sustained where all the other codefendants charged with conspiracy have been acquitted. Filer v. State, 285 So. 2d 669 (Fla. 2d DCA 1973). In this case, however, the state has presented evidence to support a prima facie case against the appellee and two of the other seven codefendants. Thus, the fact that the conspiracy count may have been properly dismissed as to five of the defendants does not prevent this court from reversing and reinstating the conspiracy count if there is sufficient evidence to establish a conspiracy between the appellee and at least one of the other codefendants.
The crime of conspiracy involves an express or implied agreement between two or more people to commit a criminal offense. Both an agreement and an intent to commit the offense are necessary elements. Jimenez v. State, 535 So. 2d 343 (Fla. 2d DCA 1988). The evidence presented to the trial court indicated a prima facie case of conspiracy between appellee and at least one of the codefendants. See State v. Pentecost, 397 So. 2d 711 (Fla. 5th DCA 1981) (only when state cannot establish even barest bit of prima facie case should it be prevented from prosecuting).
We reverse the trial court’s order dismissing the charge of conspiracy to traffic in cocaine. We affirm the dismissal of the RICO charge.
Affirmed in part; reversed in part and remanded.
RYDER, A.C.J., and DANAHY and SCHOONOVER, JJ., concur.
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Spera v. State, 656 So. 2d 550 (Fla. 2d DCA 1995)…, not a law enforcement officer, to traffic by possessing, delivering or selling cocaine in the proscribed quantity to some other person. Both an agreement and an intent to commit the offense are essential elements of a conspiracy. State v. Russell, 611 So. 2d 1265 (Fla. 2d DCA 1992); Jimenez v. State, 535 So. 2d 343 (Fla. 2d DCA 1988). While mere presence at the scene is not enough to establish participation in a conspiracy, a conspiratorial agreement can be inferred from circumstantial evidence. Perez v. Sta…
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Pallin v. State, 965 So. 2d 1226 (Fla. 1st DCA 2007)…s, or confederates with another person or persons to commit any offense[.]” § 777.04(3), Fla. Stat. (2003). “The crime of conspiracy involves an express or implied agreement between two or more people to commit a criminal offense.” State v. Russell, 611 So. 2d 1265, 1267 (Fla. 2d DCA 1992). Reviewing the evidence here in a light most favorable to the State, including all reasonable inferences resulting from the evidence, the facts presented here demonstrate that Appellant participated in more than a simple “b…
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Hampton v. State, 135 So. 3d 440 (Fla. 5th DCA 2014)…ted offense. See Fla. R. Crim. P. 3.702(d)(6). . We note that the Second District has similarly concluded that evidence of a buy-sell agreement is sufficient to establish a prima facie case of conspiracy to traffic in cocaine. See State v. Russell, 611 So. 2d 1265, 1267 (Fla. 2d DCA 1992) (reversing dismissal of conspiracy to traffic charge, even though "[t]he state’s only evidence consisted of recorded telephone conversations between [the defendant] and one of the other defendants which only indicated buy/se…
Previewing 3 of 4 citing cases — full citator treatment, depth of discussion, and citing context are member features.
Join FLexlaw to unlock all legal intelligenceAuthorities Cited
- Boyd v. State, 578 So. 2d 718 (Fla. 3d DCA 1991)
- State v. Grady Leon Pentecost, 397 So. 2d 711 (Fla. 5th DCA 1981)
- Emilio Jimenez v. State, 535 So. 2d 343 (Fla. 2d DCA 1988)
- Filer v. State, 285 So. 2d 669 (Fla. 2d DCA 1973)
- State v. Anderson, 536 So. 2d 1166 (Fla. 2d DCA 1988)