Source: http://openjurist.org/86/f3d/956
Timestamp: 2014-04-20 14:55:36
Document Index: 106540075

Matched Legal Cases: ['§ 1291', '§ 841', '§ 846', '§ 841', '§ 2', '§ 841', '§ 2', '§ 841', '§ 2', '§ 3146', 'art, 783']

86 F3d 956 United States v. Lacey | OpenJurist
86 F. 3d 956 - United States v. Lacey	Home86 f3d 956 united states v. lacey
86 F3d 956 United States v. Lacey 86 F.3d 956
UNITED STATES of America, Plaintiff-Appellee,v.Richard Ray LACEY, Defendant-Appellant.
No. 94-3317.
James E. Flory, Assistant United States Attorney, Topeka, Kansas (Randall K. Rathbun, United States Attorney, Topeka, Kansas, with him on the brief), for Plaintiff/Appellee.
Marilyn M. Trubey, Assistant Federal Public Defender, Topeka, Kansas (David J. Phillips, Federal Public Defender, Topeka, Kansas, with her on the brief), for Defendant/Appellant.
Appellant Richard Ray Lacey ("Lacey") appeals from his convictions and sentence on various drug-related offenses. On appeal, Lacey complains that: (1) the district court erred in not granting a downward departure from the Sentencing Guidelines based on the government's alleged "sentencing factor manipulation"; (2) the court erroneously enhanced Lacey's offense level based on his role in the offense; (3) the court abused its discretion in refusing to grant a mistrial based on improper statements made during voir dire; (4) the court erred in refusing to instruct the jury on the lesser included offense of simple possession; (5) the court erred in admitting certain items of evidence seized during a warrantless search of Lacey's vehicle; (6) the court abused its discretion in denying Lacey's motion to dismiss based on his compelled testimony before the grand jury; and (7) evidence of flight was improperly admitted at trial. We have jurisdiction under 28 U.S.C. § 1291 and we now affirm.
Lacey was convicted after a jury trial of six counts of a seven count indictment, including one count of conspiracy to distribute cocaine in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1) and 21 U.S.C. § 846, three counts of distribution of approximately 500 grams of cocaine in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1) and 18 U.S.C. § 2 (aiding and abetting), one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1) and 18 U.S.C. § 2 (aiding and abetting), and one count of possession with intent to distribute marijuana in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1) and 18 U.S.C. § 2 (aiding and abetting).
Lacey was previously tried and convicted of the same charges in absentia after failing to appear at the first day of his jury trial in February 1990. Lacey was later apprehended in Florida and brought back to Wichita, Kansas, where he pleaded guilty to a charge of failure to appear. 18 U.S.C. § 3146(a)(1). After sentencing, Lacey appealed his drug convictions and the resulting sentence. This Court rejected Lacey's appeal as to his convictions, but remanded the case for resentencing. United States v. Lacey, 969 F.2d 926 (10th Cir.1992). Lacey then filed a Petition for Certiorari in the United States Supreme Court challenging the in absentia convictions. The Supreme Court granted the writ and vacated the judgment, remanding the case to this Court for further consideration in light of Crosby v. United States, 506 U.S. 255, 113 S.Ct. 748, 122 L.Ed.2d 25 (1993), a case decided earlier that term.1 Lacey v. United States, 507 U.S. 901, 113 S.Ct. 1233, 122 L.Ed.2d 640 (1993). The panel, in turn, remanded Lacey's case to the district court with instructions to vacate the judgment and proceed in accordance with Crosby. United States v. Lacey, 990 F.2d 586 (10th Cir.1993).
The evidence adduced at Lacey's second trial included the following: In February 1989, F.B.I. agents in Wichita, Kansas arrested an individual named Kelly Coley on federal drug charges. Following his arrest, Coley entered into a cooperation agreement with the government whereby he agreed to make drug purchases from certain individuals suspected of trafficking narcotics in the Wichita area. Specifically, Coley was enlisted to attempt drug purchases from Lee Ray Harper, Mary Friesen, and their suspected supplier, Appellant Richard Ray Lacey.
Beginning in April 1989, Coley made several contacts with Harper and Friesen. On April 4, 1989, Coley visited Harper at his home and inquired about making a 500 gram purchase of cocaine from Lacey. Harper told Coley that Lacey would not sell the drugs personally, but advised him to contact Friesen in order to make arrangements for the sale, which Coley did later that day. On the evening of April 6, 1989, Coley met with Friesen at her residence and purchased 500 grams of cocaine. Earlier that evening, F.B.I. surveillance units had observed both Lacey and Friesen in the parking lot of a local shopping center.
Coley made similar half-kilogram purchases from Friesen on May 17 and May 23, 1989. Prior to the first transaction on May 17, 1989, F.B.I. agents conducting surveillance followed Friesen to the home of Lacey's girlfriend, Laura Klobuchar. Less than an hour later, Lacey arrived at Klobuchar's house carrying a brown paper sack. After a few minutes inside, Lacey and Friesen both emerged from the house. Friesen was carrying a dark shoulder bag, and Lacey was no longer carrying the paper sack. Friesen then left Klobuchar's house and drove directly to the Airport Hilton in Wichita, where she met Coley and sold him 500 grams of cocaine.
On May 22, 1989, Coley again contacted Friesen for the purpose of purchasing a half-kilogram of cocaine. After several conversations, Coley and Friesen agreed to meet at the Marriott Hotel in Wichita to carry out the deal. On May 23, 1989, shortly before the agreed upon meeting between Coley and Friesen, surveillance agents observed Lacey drive to a farm near Udall, Kansas. After approximately one hour at the farm, Lacey left the area. After departing the farm, Lacey traveled down several gravel roads before briefly meeting up with another vehicle. Lacey then proceeded to a convenience store, where he was met by Friesen. Surveillance agents saw Lacey enter Friesen's car, where he remained for several minutes. After Lacey exited Friesen's car, Friesen drove directly to the Marriott hotel in Wichita, where she sold 500 grams of cocaine to Coley.
After the May 23, 1989 cocaine buy from Friesen, Coley was instructed by the F.B.I. to attempt to make a larger multi-kilogram purchase of the drug. Pursuant to this instruction, Coley contacted Friesen on June 14, 1989, to arrange a purchase of six kilograms of cocaine. After several face-to-face meetings and telephone conversations, Coley and Friesen made an agreement for the purchase of approximately four to six kilograms of cocaine. On July 5, 1989, Friesen told Coley that she had spoken with Lacey and that Lacey had the cocaine. Friesen then told Coley that the deal could be completed later that day.
Shortly after this conversation, F.B.I. surveillance agents observed Lacey drive his van to a parking lot in Wichita. Several minutes later, Friesen arrived in another car, exited her vehicle, and stepped into Lacey's van. Friesen exited the van six minutes later and drove away. Lacey was later seen driving to the same farm near Udall, Kansas. While at the farm, Lacey drove his van to a clearing and parked at the edge of a wooded area. The van remained there for about ten minutes before leaving the farm and heading back in the direction of Wichita. The van was next seen heading north on a country road, where it met up with the car driven by Friesen. At this point, the F.B.I. agents arrested Lacey and Friesen. A search of Friesen's car yielded a black bag containing approximately five kilograms of cocaine. The agents also found a small quantity of cocaine, a pager, and a few thousand dollars cash in Lacey's van.
A search warrant later was obtained for the farm house in Udall, now identified as belonging to an individual named Mitcheal Edmonson. The agents executing the warrant followed a trail from the farmhouse to the clearing where Lacey earlier had parked his van. The agents located an area of the ground which appeared to have recently been excavated and discovered a ten gallon cooler filled with cocaine about 12 inches below the ground. Another cooler containing approximately seven kilograms of marijuana was also found buried nearby. Based on this evidence, Lacey was found guilty of conspiracy to distribute cocaine, three counts of distribution of cocaine, possession with intent to distribute cocaine, and possession with intent to distribute marijuana. Lacey was sentenced to 240 months on the conspiracy charge. Lacey was also sentenced to terms of 240 months each on the cocaine charges, and 120 months on the marijuana charge, all to be served concurrently with one another.
I. Departure Below the Sentencing Guidelines
We first address Lacey's argument that the district court erred in failing to depart downward from the guideline range based on the government's "sentence factor manipulation." Legal conclusions under the sentencing guidelines are reviewed under the de novo standard, while factual determinations made by the district court are reviewed for clear error. United States v. Diggs, 8 F.3d 1520, 1526 (10th Cir.1993).2
Lacey maintains that the district court improperly included in its base offense level calculation ten additional kilograms of cocaine (consisting of the five kilograms seized from Mary Friesen's vehicle the night of Lacey's arrest and five additional kilograms found during the subsequent search of the Edmonson Farm).3 Specifically, Lacey asserts that these amounts should have been excluded from the sentencing calculus because the government unnecessarily continued its undercover investigation after it already possessed sufficient evidence to secure the arrest and conviction of Lacey and his coconspirators. According to Lacey, the government's decision to continue the investigation and to negotiate a multi-kilogram purchase of cocaine was for the sole purpose of increasing his punishment under the sentencing guidelines. Lacey relies on a number of cases from other circuits recognizing a similar defense under the rubric of either "sentencing entrapment" or "sentencing factor manipulation." See, e.g., United States v. Staufer, 38 F.3d 1103, 1106 (9th Cir.1994) ("sentencing entrapment"); United States v. Rogers, 982 F.2d 1241, 1245 (8th Cir.) (same), cert. denied, 509 U.S. 912, 113 S.Ct. 3017, 125 L.Ed.2d 706 (1993); United States v. Connell, 960 F.2d 191, 194 (1st Cir.1992) ("sentencing factor manipulation"). But see United States v. Williams, 954 F.2d 668, 673 (11th Cir.1992) (rejecting "sentence entrapment" theory as a viable defense).
This Circuit never has addressed squarely a defense claim of "sentencing factor manipulation" under that rubric.4 However, we have addressed the same concept under the appellation of "outrageous governmental conduct." See United States v. Mosley, 965 F.2d 906, 908, 914 (10th Cir.1992). The outrageous conduct defense recognized in Mosley generally prevents the government from prosecuting a crime developed through egregious investigatory tactics. Id. at 908 ("When the government's conduct during an investigation is sufficiently outrageous, the courts will not allow the government to prosecute offenses developed through that conduct."). However, in Mosley we also suggested that sufficiently egregious government conduct may affect the sentencing determination. Id. at 914 (addressing defendant's claim that the government's outrageous conduct was designed to " 'ratchet[ ] up' the severity of the transaction for purposes of sentencing"). Thus, we believe that arguments such as Lacey's, whether presented as "sentencing factor manipulation" or otherwise, should be analyzed under our established outrageous conduct standard. Accord United States v. Messino, 55 F.3d 1241, 1256 (7th Cir.1995) (applying outrageous governmental conduct standard and declining to adopt a special "sentence manipulation" defense).5
A. The Standard for Outrageous Conduct
The defense of outrageous conduct has its origin in United States v. Russell, 411 U.S. 423, 93 S.Ct. 1637, 36 L.Ed.2d 366 (1973), where the Supreme Court suggested in dicta that "we may some day be presented with a situation in which the conduct of law enforcement agents is so outrageous that due process principles would absolutely bar the government from invoking judicial processes to obtain a conviction." Id. at 431-32, 93 S.Ct. at 1643. Because of the "difficulties attending the notion that due process of law can be embodied in fixed rules," id. at 431, 93 S.Ct. at 1642, courts recognizing the outrageous conduct defense have not attempted to attach a precise definition to its requirements. See, e.g., United States v. Bogart, 783 F.2d 1428, 1435 (9th Cir.) ("[N]o federal court has defined with any sort of precision the contours of the outrageous conduct defense."), vacated in part on other grounds sub nom. United States v. Wingender, 790 F.2d 802 (9th Cir.1986). Rather, the relevant inquiry is whether, considering the totality of the circumstances in any given case, the government's conduct is so shocking, outrageous and intolerable that it offends "the universal sense of justice." Mosley, 965 F.2d at 910 (quoting Russell, 411 U.S. at 432, 93 S.Ct. at 1643).
Since our decision in United States v. Spivey, 508 F.2d 146 (10th Cir.), cert. denied, 421 U.S. 949, 95 S.Ct. 1682, 44 L.Ed.2d 104 (1975), we have recognized the viability of the outrageous conduct defense;6 however, neither in that case nor in any case since have we been presented with government conduct sufficiently egregious to warrant a dismissal. See Diggs, 8 F.3d at 1524 ("This court has never rendered an opinion holding that governmental conduct constitutes outrageous conduct."). The absence of any decision by this court upholding such a claim does not suggest that the defense is unavailable, but merely bears testament to its narrow scope. See Mosley, 965 F.2d at 910 (outrageous conduct is "an extraordinary defense reserved for only the most egregious circumstances").
The strict nature of the outrageous conduct inquiry is due in primary part to the reluctance of the judiciary to second-guess the motives and tactics of law enforcement officials. See Hampton v. United States, 425 U.S. 484, 495-96 n. 7, 96 S.Ct. 1646, 1653 n. 7, 48 L.Ed.2d 113 (1976) (Powell, J., concurring in judgment) (enforcement officials "must be allowed flexibility adequate to counter effectively [narcotics] activity"). Government involvement is essential in the context of sting operations, which are often the only effective way to detect and to develop proof of illegal drug activity. To be sure, there is a point at which excessive government zeal may warrant judicial intervention. However, prior to that point, the courts will not fine tune conduct of law enforcement officials that does not "offend the universal sense of justice." See Russell, 411 U.S. at 435, 93 S.Ct. at 1644 (expressing concern over giving the judiciary a " 'chancellor's foot' veto over law enforcement practices of which it did not approve"). See also United States v. Shephard, 4 F.3d 647, 649 (8th Cir.1993) (refusing "to fashion a code of conduct for sting operations"), cert. denied, --- U.S. ----, 114 S.Ct. 1322, 127 L.Ed.2d 671 (1994).
B. Evaluating the Government's Conduct
Lacey's principal complaint is that the July 5, 1989 purchase of approximately five kilograms of cocaine negotiated by Kelly Coley, the government's confidential informant, was carried out for no reason other than to increase the quantity of drugs involved and thereby enhance the severity of his punishment. Lacey argues that immediately following the third controlled half-kilogram purchase on May 23, 1989, everything necessary to discover the stash location and effectuate the eventual arrest of Lacey and his coconspirators was known to law enforcement officials.
The government, on the other hand, sets forth several reasons for its continued investigation of Lacey. First, F.B.I. surveillance of Lacey on July 5, 1989 (the date of his arrest), enabled the government to determine the precise location of the drug stash on the Edmonson Farm. Although the government's agents had observed Lacey at the Edmonson Farm previously, it was only on this later occasion that the agents were able to detect the location of the underground coolers containing the larger quantities of cocaine and marijuana. Absent this further investigation, the stash location may have remained undiscovered.
Moreover, as the government points out, until July 5, 1989, the F.B.I. had no direct evidence placing the cocaine in Lacey's possession. Prior to that point, the agents possessed only circumstantial evidence consisting of surveillance of Lacey meeting with his coconspirators under suspicious circumstances; yet, there was no clear evidence of an exchange of drugs or contraband during these meetings. The government's basis for seeking to gather additional evidence was to strengthen its case against Lacey. Law enforcement officials are entitled to buttress their cases with additional evidence, and the courts will not usurp the prosecutor's role in deciding when a particular case is strong enough to seek an indictment. See United States v. Baker, 63 F.3d 1478, 1500 (9th Cir.1995) ("[T]he government ... must be permitted to exercise its own judgment in determining at what point in an investigation enough evidence has been obtained."), cert. denied, --- U.S. ----, 116 S.Ct. 824, 133 L.Ed.2d 767 (1996).
The government also notes that Lacey was not the only target of its investigation. Although the arrest of Lacey was admittedly a primary goal, the agents assigned to the case also sought to compile enough evidence to break up Lacey's drug ring and secure the conviction of all of his