Page:United States Reports 502 OCT. TERM 1991.pdf/205

 502us1$$6K 08-21-96 15:22:16 PAGES OPINPGT

Cite as: 502 U. S. 46 (1991)

47

Opinion of the Court p. 60. Thomas, J., took no part in the consideration or decision of the case.

Michael G. Logan argued the cause and filed briefs for petitioner. Deputy Solicitor General Bryson argued the cause for the United States. With him on the brief were Solicitor General Starr, Assistant Attorney General Mueller, and Jeffrey P. Minear. Justice Scalia delivered the opinion of the Court. This case presents the question whether, in a federal prosecution, a general guilty verdict on a multiple-object conspiracy charge must be set aside if the evidence is inadequate to support conviction as to one of the objects. I A federal grand jury returned a 23-count indictment against petitioner Diane Griffin and others. Count 20, the only count in which Griffin was named, charged her, Alex Beverly, and Betty McNulty with conspiring to defraud an agency of the Federal Government in violation of 18 U. S. C. § 371, which reads, in pertinent part, as follows: “If two or more persons conspire either to commit any offense against the United States, or to defraud the United States, or any agency thereof in any manner or for any purpose, and one or more of such persons do any act to effect the object of the conspiracy, each shall be [guilty of a crime].” The unlawful conspiracy was alleged to have had two objects: (1) impairing the efforts of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to ascertain income taxes; and (2) impairing the efforts of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to ascertain forfeitable assets. The evidence introduced at trial implicated Beverly and McNulty in both conspiratorial objects, and petitioner in the