Easter

Willie Easter, Paul Jemerigbe, and Ronnie Lea were convicted by a jury of various charges relating to their participation in an armed bank robbery. They raise several issues concerning their joint trial, and Lea also contests his sentence. We affirm the convictions of all three Appellants and we affirm Lea’s sentence.

BACKGROUND

In February 1994, Jemerigbe and Easter were tried by a jury for armed bank robbery, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2113 , and for using a firearm during a crime of violence, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 924 (c). Lea was tried at the same time for aiding and abetting these crimes. The three defendants were accused of robbing the American Savings Bank in Stockton, California, on April 24, 1993, with Lea acting as the getaway driver. (Jemer-igbe was also charged with, and convicted of, robbing of the same bank just one month earlier, in March 1993.) During the trial, limited testimony was elicited concerning the fact that all three defendants were associated with the same gang, the “Northside Gangsters” (“NSG”). The admitted mastermind behind both robberies, Omie Hartman, was also linked to NSG. After eight days of trial and three days of deliberations, the…