Although proof of criminal guilt can rest on chains of inferences, such pyramided inferences must be reasonable.

United States v. Crawley, 533 F.3d 349, 354 (5th Cir. 2008) (upholding trial court's admission into evidence of accused's involvement in the 1999 voter fraud because its relevance and probative value in showing accused's intent and motive, which are essential elements of the 2002 voter fraud offense),...Evidence of a criminal or wrongful act apart from the act that at issue at trial Is not barred by the prohibition against circumstantial use of character if intent, knowledge, mistake, or accident is a legally-material factual issue, the opposing party suggests the non-existence of knowledge or urges mistake or accident as a defense, and evidence of another crime, wrong, or act is offered to prove the knowledge or the absence of mistake or accident by a criminal defendant or other person.

United States v. Perry, 438 F.3d 642, 648 (6th Cir. 2006) (upholding trial court's admission of the Bank One robbery evidence because the NCB and Bank One robberies had sufficient distinctive similarity which created a pattern or modus operandi).If another crime or wrong is offered under the second sentence of Federal Rule of Evidence 404(b) to show the identity of an actor, wrongdoer, or defendant (e.g., to show that a criminal defendant rather than someone else committed the crime for which defendant is on trial), the other crime or wrong and the act, wrong, or crime at issue at trial must have been committed in a distinctive as well as similar fashion.

United States v. Moore, 27 F.3d 969, 974 (4th Cir. 1994) (upholding trial court's ruling that allowed the government to introduce evidence of accused's bankruptcy to rebut his offered testimony as to his character; held, "once (accused) introduced evidence of his trustworthiness and dependability in...If a criminal defendant offers evidence of his or her character circumstantially - to show he or she did not commit the crime charged -- the prosecution can offer rebutting evidence of defendant's character.