FILED U.S. COURT OF AP P EALS E LEV EN T HC IRC U IT APRIL18, 2008 THOMAS K. KAH

N CLERK [ DO NO T P UB L I S H]

I N THE UN I TE D STATE S C OU RT OF APPE ALS F O R T H E E L E V E N T H C IR C U IT

________________________ N o. 06- 16603 N on -A rgum entC al endar

________________________ D . C. D o c k e tN o . 0 6 - 6 0 2 1 4 - CR- W PD U N I T E D S T A T E S O F A M E R I C A , P la in tif f - A p p e lle e , v ersu s L U I S M E J I A , D e f e n d a n t- A p p e lla n t.

________________________ A pp ea l fr om the U ni t ed S t at es D i stri ctC ou rt f orthe S outhe rn D i s tr i c tof F l or i da

_________________________ ( A p r i l18, 2008) B efo re B IR C H , C A RN E S an d B A R K E T T , C i rcu i tJu d g es. P E R C U R I A M: L ui s M e j i aappe a l s hi s c onvi c t i on f or( 1) pr oduc i ng c ount e r f e i t , a l i e n-2

r e gi s tr a t i on c a r ds , i n vi ol a t i on of 18 U . S . C . § 1546( a ) ; a nd ( 2) c om m i tt i ng i d e n t i f i c a t i o n - d o c u me n tf

r a u d , i n v i o l a t i o n o f

1 8 U . S. C. § 1 0 2 8 ( a ) ( 1 ) . W e a f f i rm. I . B AC KG RO UN D T h e f a c ts o f M e jia ’s c r im e s w e r e p r e s e n te d a t h is tr ia l b y P e d r o G u ille n , a c onf i de nt i a l i nf

orm a ntf orthe gove rnm e nt , w ho pr ovi de d i nf orm a t i on i n e xc ha nge fo r b ei n g g i v en a w o rk p erm i t . In A p ri l 2 0 0 6 , w h i l e w o rk i n g atP o rtE v erg l ad es, F l or i da , G ui l l e n t e s t i f

i e d tha the ove rhe a r d M e j i aa nd a nothe rm a n di s c us s i ng prod uci ng fa l se i dent i fi ca t i on do cum ent s. G ui l l en t ol d M ej i a thatG ui l l en had three f r i e nds w ho ne e de d f

a ke r e s i de nc e a nd S oc i a l S e c ur i ty c a r ds a nd a s ke d M e j i ai f he c oul d obt a i n the i de nt i f

i c a t i on c a r ds . M e

j i ar e s ponde d tha the c oul d pr ovi de the d o c u m e n ts f

o r$ 2 2 5 . T h e g o v e rn m e n t p r o v id e d G u ille n w ith ap h o to g r ap h , n a m e , a n d b ir th d a te for M ej i a t o u se on on e s etof the i dent i fi ca t i on do cum ent s. W hen G ui l l en d e liv e r e d th e p h o to , M e jiain tr o d u c e d h im to a n in d iv id u a l n a m e d B e rn a r d o . G ui l l en gave M ej i a the ph ot og raph bu tno tthe paym entand i nform ed M ej i a that th e in d iv id u a l f

o rw h o m G u ille n w a s h a v in g th e d o c u m e n ts m a d e w o u ld p a y h im l a t e r . G ui l l e n w a s s uppos e d t o br i ng phot ogr aphs of thr e e di f f e r e nti ndi vi dua l s but br oughtonl y one , a nd M e j i at ol d hi m tha ti tw a s notw or th i tf orhi m t o pr ovi de o n e s e t o f

id e n tif ic a tio n d o c u m e n ts .3

M ej i a t ol d G ui l l en t o avo i d t al ki ng abou tthe do cum ent s on the t el epho ne, because m aki ng fa l se i dent i fi ca t i on do cum ent s w as a f eder al cr i m e. G ui l l en l at er m e t w ith M e

jiato o b ta in th e d o c u m e n ts a n ds o m e o f th e m o n e y . M e

jiaw a s u p s e t, be c a us e G ui l l e n di d notgi ve hi m phot ogr aphs of the othe rtw o i ndi vi dua l s f or w hom M e

j i aw a s t o ha ve i de nt i f

i c a t i on doc um e nt s m a de a nd the ba l a nc e of the m o n e y G u ille n w a s to p a y M e jia . G ui l l e n a ga i n m e tw i th M e j i at o gi ve hi m a nothe rphot ogr aph a nd $225 f or M ej i a t o o bt ai n a se cond se tof i dent i fi ca t i on do cum ent s; M ej i a l at erprov i ded th o s e d o c u m e n ts to G u ille n . O n as u b s e q u e n t o c c a s io n , G u ille n b r o u g h t M e jia a n o th e rp h o to g r ap h w ith th e p a y m e n t o f $ 2 2 5 a n d $ 1 5 0 in e x tr am o n e y th a t M e jia had request ed, because G ui l l en needed the do cum ent s t o b e provi ded as s oo n as po ss i bl e. O f the m on eypai d, $1 00 w as t o com pensat e M ej i a, w ho l at erprov i ded the f i na l i de nt i f

i c a t i on doc um e nt s . D ur i ng G ui l l e n’ s tr i a l t e s t i m ony , the gove rnm e ntpr e s e nt e d a udi o a nd vi de o r e c or di ngs a nd phot ogr aphs of s e ve r a l of G u ille n ’s m e e tin g s w ith M e jia . M a tthe w L e a ry , as pe c i a l a ge ntf orthe U ni t e d S t a t e s I m m i gr a t i on a nd C us t om E nf

or c e m e nt , t e s t i f

i e d tha tthe gove rnm e ntpr ovi de d m one y t o G ui l l e n f or th e id e n tif

ic a tio n d o c u m e n ts a n d a ls o p r o v id e d p h o to g r ap h s , f a ls e n a m e s , b ir th d a te s , a n d S o c ia l S e c u r ity n u m b e r s . T h e p a r tie s s tip u la te d th a t th e d o c u m e n ts4

p r o v id e d to G u ille n b y M e jiaw e r e c o u n te r f

e it. M e jiate s tif ie d th a t, b e f

o r e m e e tin g G u ille n , h e h a d n o t b e e n in v o lv e d in prov i di ng or ob t ai ni ng fa l se i dent i fi ca t i on do cum ent s f or anyone. M ej i a f

urther t e s t i f i e d tha tG ui l l e n ha d appr oa c he d hi m a nd tha tG ui l l e n i ntr oduc e d the s ubj e c tof fa l se i dent i fi ca t i on do cum ent s. G ui l l en had t ol d h i m thathe had fam i l y m em bers w h o n e e d e d id e n tif

ic a tio n d o c u m e n ts , a n d G u ille n h a d a s k e d M e jiaif h e c o u ld he l p hi m obt a i n thos e doc um e nt s . M e j i ai ni t i a l l y t ol d G ui l l e n tha the c oul d not he l p hi m . A f

t e rthe i rf

i r s tm e e t i ng, G ui l l e n r e pe a t e dl y m e nt i one d the s ubj e c tof c ount e r f e i ti de nt i f

i c a t i on doc um e nt s , a nd M e j i ac ont i nue d t o s a y tha the c oul d not h el p G u i l l en . M ej i a g av e G u i l l en h i s t el ep h o n e n u m b er so th atth ey co u l d d i scu ss l e gi t i m a t e w ork. M e

j i af i na l l y a gr e e d t o he l p G ui l l e n a nd s poke w i th B e rna r do A l va r a do, w ho kne w a n i ndi vi dua l , S ua r l i S a l a z a r , w ho c oul d a s s i s tw i th pr oduc i ng the f a l s e i de nt i f

i c a t i on doc um e nt s . M e

j i aha d notm e tS a l a z a rpr i ort o be i ng i ntrodu ce d t o h i m by B ernardo. M ej i a t es t i fi ed thathe w ou l d n othave prov i ded f a k e id e n tif

ic a tio n d o c u m e n ts if

G u ille n h a d n o t p r e s e n te d th e id e ato h im . M e jia w a s p a id $ 7 5 e a c h tim e th a t h e p r o d u c e d as e t o f f a ls e id e n tif

ic a tio n d o c u m e n ts . H e f urther t es t i fi ed thatthe on l y f al se i dent i fi ca t i on do cum ent s thathe had p ro d u ced w ere th o se fo r G u i l l en . M ej i a rep resen t ed th ath e h ad p ro v i d ed th e fal se id e n tif ic a tio n d o c u m e n ts to h e lp G u ille n , w h o m h e th o u g h t w a s h is f r ie n d .5

D u r in g h is r e b u tta l c lo s in g a r g u m e n t, th e p r o s e c u to ra r g u e d th a t th e o n ly que s t i on w a s w he the rM e j i aw a s e ntr appe d. T he pr os e c ut orthe n r e a d as i gni f i c a nt p o rt i o n o f th e j u d g e’ s j u ry i n stru ct i o n s:

T h e d efen d an tassert s en trap m en tco n cern i n g th e o ffen se char ged i n the i nd i ctm ent . T he defendanti s e ntrapp ed w hen l aw e nf or c e m e ntof

f i c e r s orc oope r a t i ng i ndi vi dua l s unde rthe i rdi r e c t i on i nd uce or pers uade a defe nd antt o com m i ta c ri m e the defendanthad no pr e vi ous i nt e ntt o c om m i t , a nd the l a w a s am a tt e rof pol i c y f orbi ds ac o n v ic tio n in s u c h c a s e . H o w e v e r , th e r e is n o e n tr ap m e n t, . . . w h e r e ad e f e n d a n t is r e a d y a n d w illin g to b r e a k th e la w , a n d th e g o v e rn m e n t m e r e ly pr ovi de s w ha tappe a r s t o be af a vor abl e oppor tuni ty f

orthe de f

e nda nt t o com m i ta c ri m e. F or exam pl e, i ti s notentrapm entfor a go vernm entagentt o p re t end t o b e s om eone el se , and t o o ff erei ther di re ct l y or throu gh an i nform antor other decoy t o eng age i n an u n la w f u l tr a n s a c tio n w ith th e d e f e n d a n t. A nd i ti s notf

ory ou t o e va l ua t e the c onduc tof l a w e nf or c e m e nt offi ci al s or the cond uctof pers on s a ct i ng for or a tthe re qu es tof l aw en fo rcem en to ffi ci al s, i n cl u d i n g i n fo rm ers an d co o p erat i n g w i tn esses, to d e te rm in e if

y o u ap p r o v e o rd is ap p r o v e o f th a t c o n d u c t, o rto d e te rm in e if

y o u th in k th a t th a t c o n d u c t w a s m o r a l o rim m o r a l. E xceptt o the ext entthatsuch cond uctm aybearon the ce ntra l i s s u e o f wh e th e rad e f

e n d a n twa s r e a d y a n d wi l l i n g t o b r e a k th e l a w, and the go vernm entm er el y provi ded the defendantw i th w hat ap p e a r e dto b e af

a v o r ab le o p p o r tu n ity . S o ade f e nda ntw oul d notbe the vi c t i m of e ntr apm e nti f

y ou shou l d fi nd beyond a r ea sonabl e dou btthatthe defendantbefore cont ac tw i th the go vernm entoffi ce rs or coop er at i ng i nd i vi du al s w as r e a dy , w i l l i ng, a nd abl e t o c om m i tthe c r i m e c ha r ge d i n the i ndi c tm e nt w he ne ve roppor tuni ty w a s a f f or de d, a nd tha tthe gove rnm e ntdi d no m o r e th a n o f

f e ra n o p p o r tu n ity . R 4 at63 -64. T he prosecut or as se rt ed thatG ui l l en had o ff er ed M ej i a a n oppor tuni ty a nd tha tM e j i aha d t a ke n i t . T he pr os e c ut ors t a t e d tha t“ [ a ] de f e nda nt6

i s pre di sposed and n otentrapp ed w hen h e a dm i t s thathe’ s c om m i tt i ng a f eder al c r i m e butc ont i nue s t o a c t . A de f e nda nti s pr e di s pos e d a nd note ntr appe d w he n he part i ci pat es no ton ce , no ttw i ce , bu tthree t i m es . ” I d. at67 . M ej i a’ s c ou nsel obj ec t ed and con t ended thatthe go vernm enthad m i ss t at ed the l aw . T he di stri ct ju d g e th e n c la r if

ie d f o rth e ju ry th a t “[ w ]h a t th e la w y e r s s a y is n ’t th e la w . I ’ll te ll y ou w ha tthe l a w i s i n af e w m om e nt s , butI a l l ow aw i de l a t i tude dur i ng c l os i ng a r gum e nt . ” I d. T he pr os e c ut orc ont i nue d:

T hr e e t i m e s [ a c t i ng] i n c r i m i na l c onduc t . A de f e nda nti s not en trap p ed , h e i s p red i sp o sed w h en h e m ak es al l th e arran g em en t s, quot e s apr i c e , s e t s up m e e t i ng l oc a t i ons , dr op of f l oc a t i ons , a nd h a n d le s a ll a s p e c ts o f

ac r im in a l a c tiv ity o v e rap e r io d o f f o u rm o n th s . A d efen d an ti s p red i sp o sed an d n o ten trap p ed w h en h e t ak es a cu to f th e p u rch ase p ri ce p ro ceed s. I d . Me j i a ’ s c o u n s e l a g a i n o b

j e c t e d t o th e g o v e rn m e n t ’ s c h a r a c t e r i z a t i o n o f th e l a w, a nd the j udge i nf

orm e d the j ury , “ [ the pr os e c ut ori s ] nott e l l i ng y ou tha ttha t ’ s the la w , h e ’s te llin g y o u th a t th a t’s w h a t h is in te rp r e ta tio n o f th e f a c ts is .” I d . a t 6 8 . T he pr os e c ut ora dde d: A de f e nda nti s pr e di s pos e d a nd note ntr appe d w he n he i nc r e a s e s the pr i c e w he n i t ’ s r e qui r e d t o c om pl e t e arus h j ob. A defe nd anti s pre di sposed and n otentrapp ed w hen h e never a tt e m pt s t o w i thdr a w f

r om the c r i m i na l c onduc t . N e ve rs a y s no, not ev en o n ce. A n d co n t i n u es t o m ak e d eal s fo r co u n t erfei td o cu m en t s, d e s p ite k n o w in g h is a c tio n s c o n s titu te f r a u d . A ll h e h a d to d o in th is c a s e w a s th r o w o u t th e p ic tu r e .

. . . A de f e nda nti s pr e di s pos e d a nd note ntr appe d w he n he m a ke s f a ke doc um e nt s f

ora nothe rpe r s on be f

or e be gi nni ngMejia wa s relea sed from custody in August 2007 and currently is servinghis term of 1 supervised relea se. 7 n e g o tia tio n s w ith o u rin f o rm a n t. Id. at68 -69. T he prosecut or l at erst at ed thatthe j ury “ m ustfol l ow the l aw as i n stru ct ed b y th e Ju d g e. ” Id . at7 1 . T h e j u ry fo u n d M ej i a g u i l ty o n b o th co u n t s, a nd the tr i a l j udge s e nt e nc e d hi m t o one y e a ra nd one da y of i m pr i s onm e nta nd three ye ar s of s up ervi se d rel ea se . 1 I I . DI S CUS S I ON O n appe a l , M e

j i aa r gue s tha the i s e nt i t l e d t o ane w tr i a l be c a us e the p ro secu t o r rep eat ed l y m i sst at ed th e sco p e an d el em en t s o f th e en trap m en td efen se b y s a y in g th a t ad e f

e n d a n t is n o t e n tr ap p e d w h e n h e ( 1 ) a d m its th a t h e is c om m i tt i ng af

e de r a l c r i m e butc ont i nue s t o a c t , ( 2) pa r t i c i pa t e s thr e e t i m e s i n a c r i m i na l a c t i vi ty , ( 3) m a ke s a l l a rr a nge m e nt s f orac r i m i na l a c t i vi ty ove rape r i od of f ourm onths , ( 4) t a ke s apor t i on of the pr oc e e ds of

the c r i m e , ( 5) i nc r e a s e s the pr i c e of hi s i l l e ga l w ork f

ora“ rus h j ob, ” a nd ( 6) ne ve ra tt e m pt s t o w i thdr a w f r om the cr i m i nal cond uct . M ej i a a l so cont ends thatthe di stri ctj ud ge di d n otprov i de a c ur a t i ve i ns truc t i on. W e r e vi e w de novo c l a i m s of pr os e c ut or i a l m i s c onduc t , am i xe d que s t i on of la w a n d f a c t. U n ite d S ta te s v . E c k h a r d t, 4 6 6 F .3 d 9 3 8 , 9 4 7 ( 1 1 th C ir . 2 0 0 6 ) , c e r t. d e n ie d , _
_U .S . _
_ , 1 2 7 S .C t. 1 3 0 5 ( 2 0 0 7 ) . T o e s tab lis h p r o s e c u to r ia l m is c o n d u c t,8

M e j i am us ts how tha tthe pr os e c ut or ’ s r e m a rks ( 1) w e r e i m pr ope ra nd (2) pre j ud i ci al l y a ff

ec t ed hi s s ub st ant i al ri gh t s. Id. “ A defe nd ant ’ s s ub st ant i al r i ght s a r e pr e

j udi c i a l l y a f

f e c t e d w he n ar e a s onabl e pr obabi l i ty a r i s e s tha t , butf or the re m arks, the ou t com e of the tri al w ou l d h ave been di ff er ent . W hen the re cord c o n ta in s s u f

f ic ie n t in d e p e n d e n t e v id e n c e o f g u ilt, a n y e rr o ris h a rm le s s .” I d . ( c i t a t i o n s o mi tt e d ) . “ Th e r e a r e tw o e l e me n t s t o a n e n tr ap me n tc l a i m: ( 1) gove rnm e nti nduc e m e ntof the c r i m e a nd ( 2) the de f e nda nt ’ s l a c k of pr e di s pos i t i on t o c om m i tthe c r i m e be f or e the i nduc e m e nt . ” U ni t e d S t a t e s v. O r i s nor d, 483 F . 3d 1169, 1178 ( 11th C i r . ) , c e r t . de ni e d, __ U . S . __, 128 S . C t . 673 (200 7). T he prosecut or’ s r em arks i n h i s c l osi ng ar gu m entw er e noti m prop er , because they e l aborat ed on the go vernm ent ’ s i nt erpret at i on of the fa ct s. S ee E c k h a r d t, 4 6 6 F .3 d a t 9 4 7 . T h e p r o s e c u to rs ta te d f a c ts th a t w e r e in c o n s is te n t w ith M e j i a ’ s c l a i m tha the w a s notpr e di s pos e d t o c om m i tthe c r i m e . T he pr os e c ut or a ls o r e a d th e s ta n d a r d f

o re n tr ap m e n t f

r o m th e ju ry in s tru c tio n s a n d , a t o n e p o in t, t ol d the j ury thati tw as t o rel y on the l aw thatthe j ud ge w ou l d p rovi de. M oreover, the j udge m a de i tc l e a rtha tthe pr os e c ut orw a s nots t a t i ng the l a w w he n he m a de th e c o n te s te d r e m a rk s ; in s te a d , h e w a s g iv in g h is in te rp r e ta tio n o f th e f a c ts . C o n se q u en tl y, th er e is littl e c h an ce th at th e ju ry w as m isled b y th e p ro se cu to r’s9

r e m a rk s . F i na l l y , e ve n i f

the gove rnm e nt ’ s s t a t e m e nt s w e r e i m pr ope r , a ny e rr orby the d is tr ic t ju d g e in a llo w in g th o s e s ta te m e n ts d id n o t a f f e c t M e jia ’s s u b s ta n tia l r ig h ts . E ckhardt , 46 6 F . 3d at94 7. G ui l l en’ s t es t i m on y a nd the survei l l ance evi dence pr ovi de d s uf

f i c i e nti nde pe nde nte vi de nc e f r om w hi c h the j ur or s c oul d ha ve c o n c lu d e d th a t M e

jiaw a s p r e d is p o s e d to a s s is t in o b ta in in g f r a u d u le n t d o c u m e n ts ba s e d on hi s pr oc ur e m e ntof thr e e s e pa r a t e s e t s of

c ount e r f e i ti de nt i f

i c a t i on d o c u m e n ts f

o rG u ille n . I I I . CONCL US I ON M e j i aha s appe a l e d hi s c onvi c t i on f orpr oduc i ng c ount e r f

e i t , a l i e nr e gi s tr a t i on c a r ds a nd c om m i tt i ng i de nt i f i c a t i on- doc um e ntf

r a ud, ba s e d on the p ro se cu to r’s r em ar k s d u rin g h is clo sin g ar g u m en t. B ec au se th e p ro se cu to r’s re m ar k s w er e n o t i m p ro p eran d d idn o t aff ec t M ejia’s su b stan ti al rig h ts, M ejia’s co n v i ct i o n i s A FFI R M ED .