Record contained sufficient evidence to support jury’s guilty verdict on charge of possession of firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking crime under 18 USC section 924(c)(1)(A) under circumstances, where: (1) defendant offered to sell marijuana to informant at time when informant had already brokered purchase of firearm from defendant; and (2) informant had accepted defendant’s offer and purchased $40 worth of marijuana contemporaneously with firearm purchase. While defendant argued that record lacked evidence tying firearm with marijuana purchase so as to demonstrate that firearm actually furthered marijuana sale, record contained sufficient evidence of said linkage, where it was opportunity to purchase firearm that brought informant to defendant and made possible secondary sale of marijuana to informant.
Federal 7th Circuit Court
Criminal Court
Reasonable Doubt