Source: http://law.justia.com/cases/federal/appellate-courts/F3/364/438/532970/
Timestamp: 2013-05-21 03:41:39
Document Index: 39338251

Matched Legal Cases: ['§ 3162', '§ 3162', '§ 3161', '§ 3162', '§ 3162', '§ 3162', '§ 3162', '§ 3162', '§ 3', '§ 3', '§ 3162', '§ 841', '§ 960', '§ 351', '§ 594', '§ 844', '§ 1029', '§ 1201', '§ 3162']

364 F.3d 438: United States of America Appellee, v. Wayne Gaskin, Aka "atiba," and al Castle, Defendants-appellants :: US Court of Appeals Cases :: Justia
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364 F.3d 438: United States of America Appellee, v. Wayne Gaskin, Aka "atiba," and al Castle, Defendants-appellants
United States Court of Appeals, Second Circuit. - 364 F.3d 438
Between the spring of 1998 and June 1999, Wayne Gaskin organized and financed the transportation of hundreds of kilograms of marijuana from the western part of the United States to Rochester, New York, where he then distributed the contraband. In making arrangements to acquire the marijuana and to have various couriers transport it by air, train, and motor vehicle to Rochester, Gaskin was assisted by numerous individuals, including co-defendant Al Castle. To prove defendants' participation in the charged conspiracy, the government relied on the testimony of three couriers &#x2014; Bonnie Gahr, Kevin Miller, and Theodore Shaw &#x2014; corroborated by voluminous credit card, telephone, airline, car rental, and hotel records. The same evidence was also relied on to prove the substantive marijuana charges, each charge relating to a specific marijuana transportation by one of the couriers. Thus, Count Two charged defendants in connection with Gahr's effort to transport approximately 285 pounds of marijuana by car from San Diego, California, to Rochester in April 1999; Count Three charged Gaskin in connection with Miller's transportation of an unspecified quantity of marijuana by train from San Diego to Rochester sometime between April and May 1999; Count Four charged Gaskin in connection with a similar transportation of marijuana by Miller in May 1999; Count Five charged both Gaskin and Castle with another Miller transportation of marijuana in June 1999; and Count Six charged Gaskin in connection with Shaw's efforts to transport eighty-six pounds of marijuana by motor home from Phoenix, Arizona, to Rochester between May and June 1999. On Counts Two and Six, for which there were corroborating drug seizures, the defendants were convicted. On Counts Three, Four, and Five, for which there were no corroborating seizures, they were acquitted.
In discussions with Gahr over the next few months, Gaskin told her that another courier &#x2014; later identified by authorities as Kevin Miller &#x2014; had recently reported a lost shipment of marijuana, but that Gaskin did not believe him. Gaskin stated that he knew where this courier's sister lived and planned to retaliate by "shoot[ing] up" her home. Id. at 206. After Gaskin's own June 17, 1999 arrest, see infra at Part I.C.2, he told Gahr that he planned to kill another courier &#x2014; Theodore Shaw &#x2014; who had cooperated with authorities against him, describing the individual as "a dead man walking." Id. at 210. Gahr testified that she knew Gaskin had a gun because she had seen one in his waistband on one of the occasions when he had come to her home to retrieve marijuana.
A few days later, when Miller arrived in Rochester, Gaskin offered to pay him $2,000 per trip to transport marijuana from San Diego. Miller testified that on his first trip, on April 29, 1999, he and Gaskin flew to Los Angeles where they picked up a Yukon truck and drove to San Diego. There, a supplier gave Gaskin two suitcases full of marijuana. Leaving the truck with the supplier, Gaskin and Miller returned to Rochester by train. At the Rochester station, Gaskin and Miller were met by a male in a black pickup truck &#x2014; presumably "Sammy" &#x2014; who retrieved the suitcases and drove away, leaving Gaskin and Miller to depart the station in Gaskin's sport utility vehicle.
Miller's final trip for Gaskin began on June 8, 1999, in Phoenix. Gaskin had directed Miller to meet him in Phoenix because Gaskin was there finalizing arrangements for a separate marijuana shipment &#x2014; subsequently transported by Theodore Shaw, see infra at Part I.C.1. Miller and Gaskin drove overnight from Phoenix to San Diego. There, at Gaskin's direction, Miller made travel reservations for Castle to fly to San Diego to bring Gaskin additional money to pay his California marijuana supplier. Miller testified that after Castle arrived in San Diego, he and Gaskin went out together, returning with a quantity of marijuana that they repackaged to fit inside a number of suitcases. As the three men were leaving the hotel with the suitcases, Gaskin introduced Miller to a woman named "Julie," who he explained would also be acting as a courier.
Theodore Shaw testified that he had been a marijuana customer of Gaskin's for several months when, in May 1999, Gaskin proposed that Shaw drive a motor home containing marijuana from Phoenix to Rochester in return for $2,000 &#x2014; $1,000 in advance and $1,000 upon delivery.
In an omnibus defense motion filed March 1, 2001, Gaskin renewed his Speedy Trial Act challenge to his prosecution, this time seeking dismissal of the indictment &#x2014; or at least the charges contained in Counts One and Six. Relying on this court's decision in United States v. Napolitano, 761 F.2d 135, 137-38 (2d Cir.1985), the district court declined to dismiss the indictment, finding that the charges contained therein were not the same as those alleged in the complaint. Specifically, the court ruled that the marijuana possession charged in Count Six was not "the same offense" as the attempted possession charged in the complaint. Trial Tr., June 21, 2001, at 7. Further, applying factors relevant to double jeopardy review of successive conspiracy charges, see United States v. Korfant, 771 F.2d 660, 662 (2d Cir.1985) (per curiam), the court concluded that the marijuana conspiracy charged in Count One was not the same conspiracy charged in the complaint. See United States v. Gaskin, 00-CR-6148, 2002 WL 459005, at *4-*7 (W.D.N.Y. Jan.8, 2002).
As this court observed in United States v. Napolitano, the dismissal remedy provided in § 3162(a)(1) &#x2014; which is not constitutionally mandated &#x2014; was the product of legislative compromise and, by its terms, has "very limited application." 761 F.2d at 137 (citing legislative history). The statutory language "requires dismissal only of `such charge against the individual contained in such complaint.'" Id. at 137 (quoting 18 U.S.C. § 3162(a)(1)). Napolitano instructs that this language must be read strictly. Thus, it applies only to charges "actually pending against an individual." United States v. Hillegas, 578 F.2d at 457. If charges are dismissed before expiration of the thirty-day filing period, there is no bar to their being resurrected in a new complaint or indictment. See 18 U.S.C. § 3161(d)(1) (resetting speedy trial clock if, after a complaint charge is dismissed against a defendant, the defendant is recharged with the same offense in a new complaint or indictment). Further, where complaint charges remain pending, courts will not dismiss an untimely indictment pursuant to § 3162(a)(1) if it pleads different charges from those in the complaint, and this applies even if the indictment charges "arise from the same criminal episode as those specified in the original complaint or were known or reasonably should have been known at the time of the complaint." United States v. Napolitano, 761 F.2d at 137. Our sister circuits agree and similarly construe the dismissal sanction of § 3162(a)(1) narrowly. See United States v. Watkins, 339 F.3d 167, 174 & n. 5 (3d Cir.2003); United States v. Miller, 23 F.3d 194, 199 (8th Cir.1994); United States v. Nabors, 901 F.2d 1351, 1355 (6th Cir.1990); United States v. Giwa, 831 F.2d 538, 541 (5th Cir.1987); United States v. Heldt, 745 F.2d 1275, 1280 (9th Cir.1984); United States v. Brooks, 670 F.2d 148, 151 (11th Cir.1982).
Gaskin, however, urges us to focus on language in Napolitano that acknowledged &#x2014; without adopting &#x2014; holdings in other circuits suggesting that § 3162(a)(1) "may" require the dismissal of "an indictment which merely `gilds' an earlier charge." 761 F.2d at 138. The existence and contours of a gilding doctrine to expand the scope of § 3162(a)(1) beyond the express charges specifically pleaded in a complaint has generally been viewed with skepticism. See United States v. Watkins, 339 F.3d at 176-78 (surveying case law addressing gilding doctrine). We need not here decide whether there are any circumstances where we might apply the concept of gilding to a Speedy Trial Act challenge. We hold simply that pleadings that add elements to the government's burden of proof beyond those required for the lesser included charges in a complaint do more than gild the original charges. See generally United States v. Oliver, 683 F.Supp. 35, 38 (E.D.N.Y.1988) (noting dictionary definition of "gilding" as "unnecessary ornamentation"), quoted in United States v. Watkins, 339 F.3d at 176, and in United States v. Bailey, 111 F.3d at 1236. They replace them with different charges that are not subject to dismissal under § 3162(a)(1) when no timely indictment has been filed on the lesser-included complaint charges.
As the Supreme Court has repeatedly explained, "probable cause is a fluid concept &#x2014; turning on the assessment of probabilities in particular factual contexts." Illinois v. Gates, 462 U.S. 213, 232, 103 S.Ct. 2317, 76 L.Ed.2d 527 (1983). Its focus is on "the factual and practical considerations of everyday life on which reasonable and prudent men, not legal technicians, act." Brinegar v. United States, 338 U.S. 160, 175, 69 S.Ct. 1302, 93 L.Ed. 1879 (1949). Thus, probable cause exists "where `the facts and circumstances within ... [the officers'] knowledge and of which they had reasonably trustworthy information [are] sufficient in themselves to warrant a man of reasonable caution in the belief that'" evidence of a crime will be found in the place to be searched. Id. at 175-76, 69 S.Ct. 1302 (quoting Carroll v. United States, 267 U.S. at 162, 45 S.Ct. 280) (alterations in original); accord United States v. Patrick, 899 F.2d 169, 171 (2d Cir.1990). The standard does not demand certainty but only a "fair probability" that contraband or evidence of a crime will be found. Illinois v. Gates, 462 U.S. at 238, 103 S.Ct. 2317; accord United States v. Harwood, 998 F.2d 91, 96 (2d Cir.1993). Further, courts recognize that experience and training may allow a law enforcement officer to discern probable cause from facts and circumstances where a layman might not. See United States v. Price, 599 F.2d 494, 501 (2d Cir.1979) (holding that circumstances must be viewed "through the eyes of a reasonable and cautious police officer on the scene, guided by his experience and training" (internal quotation marks omitted)); see also 2 Wayne R. LaFave, Search and Seizure § 3.2(c), at 39 (3d ed. 1996) ("[A] trained and experienced officer will have probable cause in circumstances when the layman would not."); cf. United States v. Colon, 250 F.3d 130, 136-37 (2d Cir.2001) (concluding that facts that might have supported an investigative stop if known by a law enforcement officer could not support stop when known only to a civilian 911 operator).
Before the first search of Gaskin's car, FBI agents knew: (1) Gaskin's purpose in driving to the Carvel parking lot on June 17, 1999, was not innocent; he was there to take delivery of approximately eighty-six pounds of marijuana; (2) Gaskin was no novice to marijuana dealing &#x2014; indeed, he had sold marijuana to Shaw for some months; (3) Gaskin had personally financed and organized the marijuana transportation from Arizona; (4) Gaskin had already paid Shaw several thousand dollars in fees and expenses and was to pay the remainder of his fee and expenses at the parking lot meeting; (5) Gaskin had $3,895 on his person at the time of arrest; (6) Gaskin had used three different cell phones to communicate with Shaw while the courier was en route to New York with the marijuana, and had one cell phone on his person at the time of arrest; (7) Shaw had told authorities Gaskin frequently carried firearms; (8) police records indicated that Gaskin had a pistol permit listing four firearms; and (9) Gaskin had no firearm on his person when arrested. In addition, the FBI agent who searched Gaskin's car testified that he knew from experience what this court has frequently observed: (10) guns are tools of the narcotics trade, frequently carried by dealers, particularly when they engage in transactions involving drugs or money. See, e.g., United States v. Reyes, 353 F.3d 148, 154 (2d Cir.2003) (recognizing that firearms are regularly found on narcotics traffickers); United States v. Crespo, 834 F.2d 267, 271 (2d Cir.1987) ("[T]o substantial dealers in narcotics, firearms are as much tools of the trade as are the commonly recognized articles of narcotics paraphernalia."). The totality of these circumstances established probable cause to believe that guns, cell phones, and money linked to Gaskin's drug dealing would likely be found in his car.
In this case, Gahr identified Castle as the person who accompanied Gaskin on the road trip to California preliminary to the Illinois marijuana transport. The circumstances of the trip &#x2014; two vehicles driving cross-country, in tandem, round the clock, with Gaskin carrying $150,000 in cash &#x2014; make Castle's "mere presence" on the journey highly unlikely. See United States v. Gordils, 982 F.2d 64, 71-72 (2d Cir.1992) (holding that defendant's knowing participation in conspiracy could be inferred from circumstances indicating organization would not have compromised its security by giving access to an outsider); United States v. Padilla, 961 F.2d 322, 325 (2d Cir.1992) (holding that defendant's knowing participation in crime could be inferred from evidence that confederates would not otherwise have included him in meeting with drug courier "lest he find out the truth and interfere"). In any event, Gahr described Castle as an active participant in the San Diego meeting where all four conspirators discussed whether to continue with their transport scheme in light of the Kansas vehicle stops. Gahr testified that when it was agreed to go forward using a different vehicle, Castle was the conspirator who actually rented the Buick sedan in which the drugs were concealed, an act in furtherance of the charged scheme that was corroborated by rental and credit card records. Further, after the marijuana was seized from this Buick in Illinois, telephone records revealed that Gaskin repeatedly reached out for Castle. Assuming, as we must, that the jury credited Gahr's account, see United States v. Desena, 287 F.3d at 177; United States v. Anglin, 169 F.3d at 159, this evidence amply supported Castle's conviction.
Bonnie Gahr testified that, sometime after June 17, 1999, Gaskin told her that he planned to kill the drug courier &#x2014; Theodore Shaw &#x2014; whose cooperation had led to his arrest. The district court concluded that Gaskin made this statement to Gahr, a potential witness who could provide even more incriminating evidence against him than Shaw, to intimidate her into not cooperating with authorities in their pending investigation of his drug trafficking. A threat to a potential witness qualifies as an attempt to obstruct justice and fully warrants a sentencing enhancement pursuant to § 3C1.1. See United States v. Sanchez, 35 F.3d 673, 680 (2d Cir.1994). Nevertheless, Gaskin submits that the evidence was insufficient to support a finding that his intent in threatening Shaw's life was to intimidate Gahr. Gaskin submits that the evidence shows only that he was "blowing off steam." Gaskin's Br. at 19.
1 A third defendant, Ralph Cruickshank, Jr., charged only with participation in the marijuana conspiracy, was acquitted on that single count
2 Although defendants were acquitted on the substantive counts (Three, Four, and Five) relating to Miller's transports, we summarize his testimony because the jury may have found it credible as to the existence of the overall conspiracy or corroborative of parts of Gahr's testimony
3 InTaylor, the Supreme Court observed that dismissals with prejudice are not warranted absent a showing of more than "an isolated unwitting violation" of speedy indictment by the prosecutor. See 487 U.S. at 339, 108 S.Ct. 2413. Dismissals with prejudice generally require a showing of a "truly neglectful attitude," "bad faith," a "pattern of neglect," or other serious misconduct, id. at 338-39, 108 S.Ct. 2413, as well as actual prejudice to the defendant, id. at 340-41, 108 S.Ct. 2413; accord United States v. Wilson, 11 F.3d 346, 352-53 (2d Cir.1993). The record in this case indicates none of these. Thus, even if dismissal of the challenged indictment counts had been called for under § 3162(a)(1), such dismissal would appropriately have been without prejudice to refiling.
4 InKorfant, we identified the following factors as relevant to determining whether two conspiracies are distinct for purposes of the Double Jeopardy Clause: "(1) the criminal offenses charged in successive indictments; (2) the overlap of participants; (3) the overlap of time; (4) similarity of operation; (5) the existence of common overt acts; (6) the geographic scope of the alleged conspiracies or location where overt acts occurred; (7) common objectives; and (8) the degree of interdependence between alleged distinct conspiracies." United States v. Korfant, 771 F.2d at 662; accord United States v. Estrada, 320 F.3d 173, 180-81 (2d Cir.2003); see United States v. Gambino, 968 F.2d 227, 232 (2d Cir.1992). For the reasons discussed infra at 454-55, we conclude that double jeopardy analysis is not determinative of the speedy trial issue in this case.
5 Although Title 21 places attempted possession and possession in separate statutory sections,see 21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a), 846; see also id. §§ 960(a)(1), 963 (prohibiting importation and attempted importation of controlled substances), that fact is of little import to our analysis. Many federal laws proscribe both specific criminal conduct and attempts to engage in such conduct in the same statutory section. E.g., 18 U.S.C. § 351 (prohibiting assassination or kidnapping of certain federal officials and attempts to commit same); id. § 594 (prohibiting intimidation and attempted intimidation of voters); id. § 844 (prohibiting transportation and attempted transportation of explosives in interstate commerce); id. § 1029 (prohibiting fraudulent use and attempted fraudulent use of counterfeit access devices); id. § 1201 (prohibiting interstate kidnapping and attempted kidnapping). To the extent the greater offense requires proof of additional elements to the lesser-included attempt, the charges are distinct for purposes of the § 3162(a)(1) speedy trial sanction.
6 Indeed, even double jeopardy does not erect an absolute bar to "successive prosecution on a greater offense ... where justified by the public interest in law enforcement and the absence of prosecutorial overreaching."Garrett v. United States, 471 U.S. 773, 796-97, 105 S.Ct. 2407, 85 L.Ed.2d 764 (1985) (O'Connor, J., concurring) (joining in decision rejecting double jeopardy challenge to a continuing criminal enterprise prosecution pursued after defendant's earlier prosecution for lesser-included predicate and citing other cases where prior prosecution on lesser offense did not bar prosecution on greater offense).
7 Effective August 23, 2000, the federal civil forfeiture statutes were amended by the Civil Asset Forfeiture Reform Act of 2000, Pub.L. No. 106-185, 114 Stat. 202 (2000) ("CAFRA"). In this opinion, we refer to the relevant statutory sections in effect at the time of Gaskin's June 1999 arrest
8 Where a party questions whether sound scientific methodology provides a basis for an expert opinion, it may move to preclude the admission of the opinionSee Daubert v. Merrell Dow Pharm., Inc., 509 U.S. 579, 113 S.Ct. 2786, 125 L.Ed.2d 469 (1993). Gaskin made no such motion; instead, he stipulated to the admissibility of the expert opinion. Under such circumstances, he cannot complain on appeal that the opinion lacks foundation. See Marbled Murrelet v. Babbitt, 83 F.3d 1060, 1066-67 (9th Cir.1996) (declining to entertain a Daubert challenge on appeal presented "in the guise of an insufficiency-of-the-evidence argument"); see also C.B. Fleet Co. v. SmithKline Beecham Consumer Healthcare, L.P., 131 F.3d 430, 437 (4th Cir.1997) (same).
9 Reviewing the district court's oral ruling, we are satisfied that its finding that Gaskin impermissibly "used" the monies was intended to encompass both proscribed use and intended use
10 The district court expressly found that there had been no prosecution misconduct in procuring the challenged stipulation