State v. Torres-Gonzalez, 227 N.C. App. 188 (May. 7, 2013)

(1) The evidence was sufficient to support a charge of conspiracy to traffic in cocaine by possession. A detective arranged for a cocaine sale. The defendant and an individual named Blanco arrived at the preset location and both came over to the detective to look at the money. The defendant and Blanco left together, with the defendant telling Blanco to wait at a parking lot for delivery of the drugs. Later, the defendant told Blanco to come to the defendant’s house to get the drugs. Blanco complied and completed the sale. (2) The court rejected the defendant’s argument that verdicts finding him guilty of conspiracy to commit trafficking by possession but not guilty of trafficking by possession were legally inconsistent because both crimes required the defendant to have possession. Because conspiracy to traffic by possession does not include possession as an element, the fact that the defendant was convicted of that crime and not convicted of trafficking by possession does not present any inconsistency, legal or otherwise.