*This order and judgment is not binding precedent, except under the doctrines of

law of the case, res judicata, and collateral estoppel. This court generally disfavors the citation of orders and judgments; nevertheless, an order and judgment may be cited under the terms and conditions of 10th Cir. R. 36.3. 

## F I L E D United States Court of Appeals Tenth Circuit 

### JUL 14 1998 

### PATRICK FISHER Clerk UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS

TENTH CIRCUIT

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, Plaintiff-Appellee, v. DANIEL BAZEZA MAZUN, Defendant-Appellant. No. 97-1086 (D.C. No. 96-CR-208-N) (D. Colo.)

ORDER AND JUDGMENT *

Before SEYMOUR , Chief Judge, EBEL , and KELLY , Circuit Judges.

A jury convicted defendant-appellant Daniel Bazeza Mazun (“Mazun”) of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. On appea l, he challenges (1) the district court’s decision not to suppress evidence seized by police during a traffic stop, (2) the conviction based on sufficiency of th e evidence, and (3) the district court’s sentence enhancement for being a leader or organizer of a criminal activity. We affirm.1 Majewski had a drug dog with him on patrol. (Vol. 3 at 4 ).

2Mazun also was convicted and sentenced under 21 U.S.C. § 853 (Vol. 2, Doc. (continued...) - 2 - BACKGROUND At 1:30 in the morning of June 30, 1995, just outsi de of Las Vegas, Nevada, Highway Patrol Officer Scott Majewski (“Maj ewski”) and his partner observed a car driven by Mazun veer onto the paved shoulder of the road for approximately 50-100 feet, after which the car retu rned to its proper lane. (Vol. 3
at 4 ). Majewski pulled Mazun over, asked to see his li cense, asked him a few questions, gave him a verbal warning, and then retu rned his license. (Vol. 3 at
15 ). Majewski then asked if Mazun had any narcotics or weapons in the vehicle. (Vol. 3 at 15 ). Mazun answered in the negative. (Vol. 3 at 15 ). Majewski asked for permission to search the car, and Mazun consent ed. (Vol. 3 at 15-16 ). An initial search by Majewski turned up no contraband or weapons. (Vol. 3 at 16 ). Majewski then ordered a dog sniff of the car. 1 (Vol. 3 at 17 ). The drug dog alerted to the trunk. (Vol. 3 at 18 ). A subsequent search of the trunk revealed 470 grams of methamphetamine. (Vol. 3 at 18-19 ). Authorities later found drugs and related evidence after searching Mazun’s home i n Colorado. Mazun was indicted, tried, and convicted in the Di strict of Colorado for conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 846 and 841(a)(1), (b)(1)(A). 2 (Vol. 1, Doc. 4 & Vol. 2, Docs. 50, 51, & 62 ). At2 (...continued)

51 ), which he does not appeal - 3 - sentencing, the district court found Mazun to be an organizer or leader of a criminal activity, and increased his offense level by four points under § 3B1.1(a) of the United States Sentencing Guidelines (the “Gu idelines”). (Vol. 9 at 7 ). The court then sentenced Mazun to 324 months’ imprisonm ent. (Vol. 9 at 9 ). The evidence introduced against Mazun at trial incl uded the methamphetamine found in Mazun’s car; marked cash, drugs, and drug paraphernalia found in Mazun’s Colorado home in a b edroom occupied by codefendant Moises Mazun, Mazun’s brother; and testim ony of witnesses who stated that Mazun fronted them large quantities of drugs f or resale. (Aplt. Br. at 14-15 ). Mazun moved to suppress the methamphetamine seized by Majewski, and his motion was denied. (United States v. Mazun , No. 96-CR-208N (D. Colo. Aug. 29, 1996) (unpublished order)). On appeal, Mazun c laims that (1) the district court erred in refusing to suppress the evidence se ized by Majewski during the traffic stop in Nevada; (2) the evidence was insuff icient to support a conviction of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine; and (3) the district court misapplied § 3B1.1(a) of the Guidelines in adjusting his offen se level upward for being the organizer or leader of a criminal activity.- 4 - DISCUSSION I. Suppression Mazun challenges the district court’s refusal to suppress the evidence found in his vehicle by Majewski on the ground that the s top and subsequent search and seizure were illegal under the Fourth Amendment. He specifically charges that (1) the initial stop was illegal; (2) Mazun’s conse nt to the search was involuntary; and (3) Majewski’s use of the drug dog was unjustif ied. “When reviewing an order granting or denying a motion to suppress, we accept the trial court’s findings of fact unless clearly erroneous and consi der the evidence in the light most favorable to the district court’s determinatio n.” United States v. Doyle , 129 F.3d 1372, 1375 (10th Cir. 1997). “An investigative detention may be permissibly exp anded beyond the reason for its inception if the person stopped cons ents to that expansion.” United States v. Wood , 106 F.3d 942, 946 (10th Cir. 1997). Moreover: When the driver has produced a valid license and pr oof of entitlement to operate the car, the driver must be allowed to proc eed without further delay for additional questioning. Further questioning is permissible, however, if (1) during the course of the traffic stop the offic er acquires an objectively reasonable and articulable suspicion that the drive r is engaged in illegal activity; or (2) the driver voluntarily consents t o the officer's additional questioning. Under the first set of circumstances, a Fourth Amendment seizure has taken place, but it is reasonable and c onsequently constitutional. Under the second set of circumstan ces, there is no seizure, and hence the Fourth Amendment's strictures are notimplicated. United States v. Elliott , 107 F.3d 810, 813 (10th Cir. 1997) (internal citations and- 5 -

quotations omitted). Consent to a search is valid only if given voluntar ily. See United States v. McCurdy , 40 F.3d. 1111, 1119 )(10th Cir. 1994). “Whether or not a party has voluntarily consented to a search is a question of fact that the district court must evaluate in view of the totality of the circumstanc es.” Doyle , 129 F.3d at 1377; see also Ohio v. Robinette , 519 U.S. 33, 117 S. Ct. 417, 421 (1996). The mer e fact that the defendant was detained by police at t he time of the request and was not advised of his Fourth Amendment right to leave does not render the consent involuntary. See Robinette , 117 S. Ct. at 421; Doyle , 129 F.3d at 1377. Instead, a defendant challenging the voluntariness of his co nsent must show that the police somehow coerced the consent. This inquiry requires the courts to look for evidence of “physical mistreatment, use of violence , threats, threats of violence, promises or inducements, deception or trickery, andthe physical and mental capacity of the defendant within the totality of th e circumstances.” McCurdy , 40 F.3d at 1119; see also Elliot , 107 F.3d at 814 (because police officer did not engage in any “coercive show of authority ( e.g. leaning on Elliot’s car, using a commanding tone of voice, physically touching Ellio t, showing or touching weapon, etc.)” consent to search was not coerced). Here, the district court found that Majewski handedMazun’s documents back to him before asking for permission to search the vehicle. (Mazun , No. 96-3 Because the consent to search was voluntary, we need not address the question of

whether a dog sniff of a car during a traffic stop qualifies as a “search.” - 6 - CR-208N at 3). At that point, Mazun was free to le ave. Instead, he consented to Majewski’s search of his vehicle. The evidence ind icates that Mazun’s consent was uncoerced. Majewski did not draw his gun, did not use or threaten to use physical force against Mazun, and did not trick Maz un into consenting. Mazun does not claim that he was physically or mentally i mpaired at the time he consented to the search. Thus, the district court did not err in finding that Mazun’s consent to Majewski’s search was consensual and not violative of Mazun’s Fourth Amendment rights. 3 However, Mazun also contends that his consent was i nvalid because it followed an illegal investigation and detention. S ee United States v. McSwain , 29 F.3d 558, 562 (10th Cir. 1994) (consent followin g an illegal detention is involuntary unless the consent was given free of th e “taint” of the unlawful stop). Mazun cites to United States v. Gregory , 79 F.3d 973 (10th Cir. 1996), where this court found an officer’s stop and subsequent searchof a U-Haul truck that briefly swerved off the road to be unreasonable. Neverthel ess, whether or not Majewski’s stop of Mazun was, like the stop in Greg ory , unreasonable, Mazun’s attorney conceded during the suppression hearing:

Your honor, Mr. Mazun’s position on the search is e ssentially outlined in the supplemental motion. . . . [T]o el iminate one aspect- 7 -

of it, one argument we raise the question of in that pleading, is whether or not there was actually a valid traffic reason to stop the vehicle. At this point, it would appear that there was a val id traffic reason, as cited by the specific [statutory] provision thatthe officer cited, and we won’t argue that point. (Vol. 3 at 39 ). The trial court noted this concession (Vol. 1 D oc. 29 at 4 ), and the issue was never raised again below. Because questi ons of fact such as reasonableness are not subject to plain error revie w, we consider the issue of the reasonableness of the stop to be waived on appeal. See United States v. Lee , 989 F.2d 377, 380 (10th Cir. 1993). Thus, we must assu me that the stop was reasonable. As a result, we find that Mazun volunt arily consented to the search, and the district court did not err in denying Mazun ’s suppression motion. II. Sufficiency of the Evidence In challenging the sufficiency of the evidence of ajury verdict, the defendant is “faced with a high hurdle . . . this c ourt must review the record de novo and ask only whether, taking the evidence--both direct and circumstantial, together with the reasonable inferences to be drawntherefrom--in the light most favorable to the government, a reasonable jury coul d find the defendant guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.” United States v. Voss , 82 F.3d 1521, 1524-25 (10th Cir.) (quotation and citation omitted), cert. denie d , 117 S. Ct. 226 (1996). This standard is “highly deferential.” United States v. Lopez , 100 F.3d 113, 118 (10th Cir. 1996).- 8 -

In order to convict Mazun of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, the government had to prove the following four elements :

(1) agreement with another person to violate the law; (2) knowledge of the essential elements of the cons piracy; (3) knowing and voluntary involvement; and (4) interdependence among the alleged conspirators. Id. (quotation and citations omitted). Mazun asserts that the bulk of the evidence of his participation in the methamphetamine distrib ution conspiracy stems from evidence seized from the room of his brother, Moise s Mazun, who was residing with Mazun at the time of the investigation. Mazun claims that the car he was driving, in which Majewski found methamphetamine, a ctually belonged to his brother, that the witness testimony against him is incredible, and that no police officer ever actually saw him selling drugs to anyo ne. In short, Mazun claims that he is being punished for the sins of his brother. In addition to the evidence of large quantities of drugs, drug paraphernalia, and marked drug money in Mazun’s home and the car h e was driving, three witnesses testified that they had either bought met hamphetamine from Mazun and/or had seen him deliver large quantities. (Vol. 5 at 346-54 & 449-59; Vol. 6 at 568-73, 582, & 644-46 ). Taken in the light most favorable to the govern ment, the government presented sufficient evidence of Maz un’s guilt.
III. Sentence Enhancement Mazun challenges the court’s findings that (1) the conspiracy included five- 9 -

or more people and (2) Mazun was a leader or organi zer of that conspiracy. We review a district court’s findings of fact at sente ncing for clear error and the application of the Guidelines to those facts de nov o. See United States v. Cordoba , 71 F.3d 1543, 1547 (10th Cir. 1995). A defendant qualifies for a four-point increase in his offense level for playing an “aggravating role” in the offense under § 3B1.1(a) if “the defendant was an organizer or leader of a criminal activity t hat involved five or more participants or was otherwise extensive.” First , the district court determined that the conspiracy consisted of the following six indiv iduals: Mazun, Mazun’s brother Moises, Debra Davis, Stephanie Harris, Michael Harr is, and Philip Storey. (Vol.
9 at 6-7 ). Mazun concedes that the conspiracy included the first four individuals listed, but challenges the district court’s finding that Michael Harris and Philip Storey were members of the conspiracy. However, Ma zun does not say whyhe challenges this finding. Because evidence presente d to the district court indicated that Michael Harris sold methamphetamine fronted byMazun (Vol. 6 at 568-73 ), the district court did not clearly err by finding t hat the conspiracy included at least five people. Second , the district court found: [T]he defendant’s home in the small community of Be nnett, Colorado was the center distribution point for all persons distr ibuting drugs in this conspiracy. It is also evident . . . that the cons piracy was an ongoing, established source of income for the defendant and that he organized and- 10 -

implemented importation of the controlled substance from California into Colorado. He controlled the price and the amount o f the drug which was delivered from various participants from time to ti me. These circumstances are sufficient basis for treating [the defendant] a s an organizer or leader. (Vol. 9 at 7 ). Mazun claims that the facts before the court we re sufficient only to show that he was a supplier or distributor of methamphetamine, not that he exerted the requisite control over others to qualif y him as an organizer or leader. However, even if Mazun did not exercise enough control over others to qualify as a leader, the district court’s findings are suffici ent to support a conclusion that Mazun served as an organizer of the conspiracy. Se e United States v. ValdezArieta , 127 F.3d 1267, 1272 (10th Cir. 1997) (defendant c an organize illegal drug distribution activity without exercising control ov er other participants by coordinating and overseeing implementation of consp iracy including control over financial arrangements and procuring supply of drug s). As a result, the district court did not err by enhancing Mazun’s sentence und er § 3B1.1(a).
CONCLUSION For the reasons stated above, we AFFIRM.
ENTERED FOR THE COURT

David M. Ebel Circuit Judge