A Gwinnett County jury convicted David Gregory Kawika Richardson of one count of trafficking in cocaine OCGA § 16-13-31 a 1 B. Richardson now appeals from the trial court’s order denying his motion for a new trial , arguing that the evidence was insufficient to support his conviction; the prosecutor improperly placed his character in issue; he received ineffective assistance from his trial counsel; and the trial court improperly charged the jury on conspiracy. Richardson also contends that the trial court improperly enhanced his sentence because he exercised his right to a jury trial. Discerning no error, we affirm. Viewed in the light most favorable to the jury’s verdict Drammeh v. State, 285 Ga. App. 545, 546 1 646 SE2d 742 2007, the record shows that on the evening of May 5, 2007, Gwinnett County Police Sergeant David Cavender saw a Pontiac Grand Am and Ford Explorer backed up next to an unoccupied rear building of an America’s Best Inn in Norcross. Since the area was known for drug activities, Cavender decided to conduct surveillance from an adjacent parking lot. Within minutes, he saw Richardson, Ernesto Morga, Robert Mosley, and Aonta Ruth emerge from a breezeway in the front building of the motel and walk toward the vehicles.1 Richardson and Morga walked over to the Explorer, where Richardson opened and closed the driver’s door and then opened a back door and retrieved a bag. Richardson and Morga then walked over to the Grand Am, where Mosley and Ruth were waiting. One of the men opened the trunk, and Richardson placed the bag inside and began moving things around for about a minute and a half. According to Cavender, “you could tell by the way he moved that he was lifting stuff up and moving it.” After making a “shoving motion,” Richardson stood up holding a bag.
By this time, Cavender had called for backup officers. As Cavender watched, the four men, led by Richardson, walked back toward the breezeway. As they did so, another officer ordered the men to stop, while Cavender ran to the front of the building. Cavender saw Richardson emerge from the front of the breezeway, still carrying the bag. As he walked down the sidewalk, Richardson shoved the bag into a trash can. After Cavender detained Richardson, police recovered the bag and discovered suspected cocaine wrapped in Saran Wrap inside, later shown to constitute 377 grams of cocaine with a 50 percent purity.
