State v. Glisson, ___ N.C. App. ___, 796 S.E.2d 124 (Feb. 7, 2017)

(1) The evidence was sufficient to support a conviction for conspiracy to traffic in opium by sale and delivery. The defendant was indicted on multiple drug offenses arising from three separate controlled buys. On appeal the defendant argued that the State failed to present evidence, aside from an accomplice’s mere presence at the second control buy, that the defendant conspired with the accomplice to traffic in opium. The court rejected this argument, noting, among other things that the defendant brought the accomplice to the drug transaction location for all three controlled buys. The location of the second exchange was one the defendant did not like and the sale took place at or near dark. The drugs were maintained in the same vehicle as the accomplice and the defendant exchanged the drugs and counted the money in front of him. From this evidence, it would be reasonable for the jury to infer that the accomplice was present at the defendant’s behest to provide safety and comfort to the defendant during the transaction. (2) The evidence supported multiple conspiracy charges. The court rejected the defendant’s argument that the evidence showed only one agreement to engage in three separate transactions. It noted that the first two transactions were separated by one month and that approximately three months passed between the second and third buys. There was no evidence suggesting that the defendant planned the transactions as a series. Rather, the informant or the detective initiated each.