UNPUBLISHED

UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS

FOR THE FOURTH CIRCUIT

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, 

Plaintiff-Appellee,

v.  No. 00-4733

FERNANDO RENEE WARE,

Defendant-Appellant. 

Appeal from the United States District Court

for the District of Maryland, at Greenbelt.

Herbert N. Maletz, Senior Judge, sitting by designation.

(CR-98-313-HMN)

Submitted: October 31, 2001

Decided: January 15, 2002

Before WILKINS and KING, Circuit Judges, and

HAMILTON, Senior Circuit Judge.

Affirmed by unpublished per curiam opinion. 

COUNSEL

Robert C. Bonsib, Beau Kealy, MARCUS & BONSIB, Greenbelt,

Maryland, for Appellant. Stephen M. Schenning, United States Attorney, Ronald J. Tenpas, Assistant United States Attorney, Greenbelt,

Maryland, for Appellee.
Unpublished opinions are not binding precedent in this circuit. See

Local Rule 36(c). 

OPINION

PER CURIAM: 

Fernando Renee Ware appeals from his conviction for possession

with intent to distribute, and conspiracy to distribute and possess with

intent to distribute, powder and crack cocaine in violation of 21

U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1), 846 (1994), and aiding and abetting in violation

of 18 U.S.C.A. § 2 (West 2000). Ware has also filed a motion requesting permission to file a pro se supplemental brief. Finding no reversible error, we affirm. 

On appeal, Ware contends the district court improperly admitted

hearsay evidence. We review for abuse of discretion. United States v.

Queen, 132 F.3d 991, 995 (4th Cir. 1997). Because we find the complained of evidence was not hearsay, but was admitted solely for the

purpose of explaining the course of the police investigation, we find

no abuse of discretion. See United States v. Love, 767 F.2d 1052,

1063 (4th Cir. 1985). 

Ware also contends the district court improperly admitted expert

testimony from a law enforcement officer regarding the meaning of

certain portions of taped conversations between Ware and an informant under Fed. R. Evid. 702. Ware further contends the testimony

violated Fed. R. Evid. 704(b). Upon careful consideration of the

record, we conclude both claims are without merit. 

Ware next contends the trial court abused its discretion by admitting a police officer’s voice identification testimony regarding the

same taped conversations. Ware suggests the officer had no independent basis, other than information provided by an informant, that the

voice on the tapes was Ware’s. This contention is belied by the

record. Because the officer had sufficient familiarity with Ware’s

voice to allow him to identify Ware as the person whose voice is on

the recordings, we find no abuse of discretion. See United States v.

Robinson, 707 F.2d 811, 814 (4th Cir. 1983). 

2 UNITED STATES v. WARE
Ware next contends the district court erred by denying his motion

to suppress the evidence seized from his vehicle following his arrest.

Ware contends police did not have probable cause to arrest him and

that any evidence seized in the search incident to his arrest was therefore inadmissible. Probable cause for a warrantless arrest exists when

facts and circumstances within the officers’ knowledge are sufficient

to warrant a prudent person, or one of reasonable caution, in believing, in the circumstances shown, that the suspect has committed, is

committing, or is about to commit an offense. Beck v. Ohio, 379 U.S.

89, 91 (1964); United States v. Gray, 137 F.3d 765, 769 (4th Cir.

1998). A finding of probable cause is based upon a practical assessment of the totality of the circumstances. Illinois v. Gates, 462 U.S.

213, 230-31 (1983). Considering the totality of the circumstances of

which police had knowledge at the time, we find ample probable

cause existed for Ware’s arrest. Thus, the evidence seized in the

search incident to arrest was admissible. 

Ware also contends the court erred by refusing to instruct the jury

regarding the meaning of reasonable doubt and by giving the jury a

limited flight instruction. In general, the decision to give, or not to

give, a jury instruction and the content of that instruction are reviewed

for an abuse of discretion. United States v. Burgos, 55 F.3d 933, 935

(4th Cir. 1995). 

Ware’s argument that the district court erred by refusing to instruct

the jury regarding the meaning of reasonable doubt is foreclosed by

this court’s decision in United States v. Reives, 15 F.3d 42, 45 (4th

Cir. 1994) (condemning the attempts of trial courts to define reasonable doubt). We decline Ware’s invitation to reconsider that decision.

We also find Ware’s argument that the district court erred by giving a limited flight instruction unavailing. Despite Ware’s contentions

to the contrary, there was sufficient evidence produced at trial to show

flight. Thus, we find the district court did not abuse its discretion in

deciding which jury instructions to give and which not to give. 

Finally, in his pro se supplemental brief, Ware contends his conviction must be overturned because the indictment failed to allege a specific drug quantity. We find this argument to be without merit, as

Ware’s sentence of 235 months falls within the statutory limits under

UNITED STATES v. WARE 3
Apprendi v. New Jersey, 530 U.S. 466 (2000). See United States v.

Kinter, 235 F.3d 192, 199-202 (4th Cir. 2000), cert. denied, 121 S. Ct.

1393 (2001). 

Accordingly, we affirm Ware’s conviction. Further, we grant

Ware’s motion to file a pro se supplemental brief. We dispense with

oral argument because the facts and legal contentions are adequately

presented in the materials before the court and argument would not

aid the decisional process. 

AFFIRMED

4 UNITED STATES v. WARE