Source: http://openjurist.org/print/613973
Timestamp: 2013-12-21 07:44:17
Document Index: 691102244

Matched Legal Cases: ['§ 841', '§ 841', '§ 859', '§ 841', '§ 1952', '§ 2', '§ 841', '§ 3742']

83 F3d 1266 United States v. Ivy
83 F.3d 1266
UNITED STATES of America, Plaintiff-Appellee,v.Tracy Dinah IVY, aka Tracy Norwood, Defendant-Appellant.UNITED STATES of America, Plaintiff-Appellee,v.Samuel Earl NORWOOD, Defendant-Appellant.UNITED STATES of America, Plaintiff-Appellee,v.Joye Collette TRAYLOR, Defendant-Appellant.UNITED STATES of America, Plaintiff-Appellee,v.Raymond Howard HICKMAN, Defendant-Appellant.UNITED STATES of America, Plaintiff-Appellee,v.Kenny TAYLOR, aka K-Dawg, Defendant-Appellant.
Nos. 94-6131 to 94-6133, 94-6136 and 94-6137.
Nos. 94-6136 and 94-6137 submitted on the briefs.*
Leslie M. Maye, Assistant United States Attorney (Patrick M. Ryan, United States Attorney, with her on the brief), Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, for Plaintiff-Appellant.
Jill M. Wichlens, Assistant Federal Public Defender (Michael G. Katz, Federal Public Defender, with her on the briefs), Denver, Colorado, for Defendant-Appellant Tracy Dinah Ivy.
David M. Dunlap (David Lynn on the brief), Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, for Defendant-Appellant Samuel Earl Norwood.
David M. Dunlap, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, for Defendant-Appellant Joye Collette Traylor.
Thomas D. McCormick, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, for Defendant-Appellant Raymond Howard Hickman.
Kenneth Watson, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, for Defendant-Appellant Kenny Taylor.
Before BRORBY, McKAY and ALARCON,** Circuit Judges.
A jury convicted Tracy Dinah Ivy, Samuel Earl Norwood, Joye Collette Traylor, Raymond Howard Hickman, and Kenny Taylor of one count of conspiracy "to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute cocaine powder and/or cocaine base (crack)" in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1) and 846, and convicted Ms. Ivy of four counts, Mr. Norwood of seven counts, Ms. Traylor of nine counts, and Mr. Hickman and Mr. Taylor of three counts of distribution of cocaine base in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1). It also convicted Mr. Norwood and Ms. Traylor of two counts and Mr. Hickman of one count of distribution of cocaine to persons under age twenty-one in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 859, convicted Mr. Norwood and Mr. Hickman of three counts of possession with intent to distribute cocaine base in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1), and convicted Mr. Norwood of two counts of interstate travel in aid of racketeering in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1952(a)(3) and two counts of aiding and abetting distribution of cocaine base in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2 and 21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1).
The district court sentenced Mr. Norwood and Mr. Hickman each to an aggregate sentence of life imprisonment. Ms. Ivy received an aggregate sentence of thirty years, Ms. Traylor received an aggregate sentence of twenty-seven years, and Mr. Taylor received an aggregate sentence of twenty-one years, ten months.
In this consolidated appeal, Ms. Ivy, Mr. Norwood, Ms. Traylor, Mr. Hickman, and Mr. Taylor challenge their convictions, and all except Mr. Taylor challenge their sentences. We exercise jurisdiction pursuant to 18 U.S.C. § 3742(a) and 28 U.S.C. 1291, remand Ms. Ivy's and Mr. Hickman's cases for resentencing in accordance with this opinion, and affirm the defendants' convictions and sentences in all other respects.
This case is the result of a five-year investigation by federal and local law enforcement officers. The investigation uncovered a large-scale conspiracy to distribute crack cocaine in the Kerr Village area of Oklahoma City. Mr. Norwood was the leader of the conspiracy, and Ms. Ivy, Ms. Traylor, and Mr. Hickman acted as intermediaries, shuttling drugs and cash between Mr. Norwood and the many street dealers he supplied, including Mr. Taylor, Mr. Chitwood, Leroy Washington, Nathaniel Washington, Moty Davis, Nigel Clay, Flora Ingram, and Richard Ingram. What follows is a rough chronology of the Norwood/Hickman conspiracy, describing the involvement of the many players who passed in and out of it until its downfall in 1993.
A. The Street Dealers
The story of this conspiracy begins in the summer of 1988. One of Mr. Norwood's 1988 suppliers, Larry Hornsby, testified he fronted Mr. Norwood between one-half and one ounce of crack cocaine about twice per week for approximately two months. Mr. Hornsby was arrested in October 1988 on federal drug charges, but was released after six days. After he was released, their roles reversed, and Mr. Hornsby began purchasing cocaine from Mr. Norwood, who in turn got the cocaine from a supplier in California. Mr. Hornsby gave Mr. Norwood $1,500 to purchase one and one-half ounces of cocaine powder from his California supplier, which Mr. Hornsby later cooked into crack cocaine. Mr. Norwood personally drove to California and retrieved the cocaine. Mr. Hornsby continued to purchase cocaine from Mr. Norwood during the six to eight months following his release in October 1988. He made two or three purchases of one or one and one-half ounces of cocaine powder. Mr. Norwood showed Mr. Hornsby one-quarter to one-half kilogram of cocaine in Mr. Norwood's apartment in January 1989. Mr. Hornsby also saw a safe with money in it. On one occasion, Mr. Norwood had a woman he was living with at the time, Priscilla Meadows, deliver two ounces of cocaine powder to Mr. Hornsby. According to Mr. Hornsby, Mr. Norwood also had Ms. Ivy help him distribute crack cocaine, and there was "no doubt about it that she was part of his business." Mr. Norwood was distributing cocaine to a number of other individuals for resale during this time, including Audrey Holmes.
Orville Nelson testified that in summer 1989, when he was sixteen years old, he and Mr. Norwood's cousin used to steal items and sell them to Mr. Norwood. One day that summer, Mr. Norwood's cousin and Orville Nelson saw Mr. Norwood drive by, waved him down, got into his car, and drove toward the apartment Mr. Norwood was living in at the time. While they were in the car, Mr. Norwood showed Orville Nelson a large diamond ring he was wearing and said that to be rich like him, "what you all need to do is, you know, sell some dope for me." Mr. Norwood then fronted Orville Nelson seven grams of crack cocaine. Orville Nelson agreed to sell the crack cocaine for $500 and return $250 to Mr. Norwood. Mr. Norwood's cousin taught Orville Nelson how to divide up the cocaine with a razor and sell it on the street. It took Orville Nelson one week to sell the seven grams of crack cocaine. Mr. Norwood supplied Orville Nelson with approximately seven grams of crack cocaine per week for two and one-half months. Thereafter, Mr. Norwood stopped handling the crack cocaine he supplied to Orville Nelson, and had Ms. Ivy deliver it to him instead. However, Orville Nelson continued to give the money to Mr. Norwood. Ms. Ivy delivered seven gram packets of crack cocaine to Orville Nelson between five and ten times. Orville Nelson stopped selling crack cocaine in December 1989. In May 1993, Orville Nelson started selling crack cocaine he received from Richard Ingram, who in turn received his supplies from a man named Lawrence. Orville Nelson also saw Mr. Taylor selling crack cocaine in Kerr Village, and once in June 1993 bought one-half ounce of crack cocaine from him and resold it.
Richard Ingram, began selling crack cocaine in March 1990, when he was fifteen years old. In this first transaction, Mr. Hickman fronted him four or five grams of crack cocaine. For the next five or six months, Mr. Ingram sold approximate one-quarter ounce of crack cocaine every two days, all supplied by Mr. Hickman. Mr. Hickman was also supplying Nathaniel Washington and an individual named Rodney at that time. Mr. Hickman's brother, Mr. Norwood, was his supplier. During the seven or eight months following September 1990, Mr. Ingram sold crack cocaine off and on. During the four or five months following August 1991, Mr. Ingram sold five or six half-ounce quantities of crack cocaine he received from his sole supplier, Mr. Hickman, who in turn received his supply from Mr. Norwood. Mr. Ingram continued to sell about one ounce of crack cocaine per month throughout 1992, again from his sole supplier Mr. Hickman. On one occasion in 1992, Mr. Ingram saw Ms. Traylor deliver crack cocaine to Mr. Hickman. Mr. Ingram got crack cocaine from a person named Lawrence in February to September 1993, and stopped buying crack cocaine from Mr. Hickman and Mr. Norwood, except for three occasions when Lawrence ran out of crack cocaine. Ms. Traylor participated in all three transactions. Mr. Ingram sold one-half ounce of crack cocaine to Mr. Taylor in September 1993, and saw him sell crack cocaine in August 1993.
Lee Roy Washington testified he began selling crack cocaine in August 1991, when he was twenty-one years old. He explained he did not need anyone to introduce him to the crack cocaine business because he "knew what to do. Right there on TV, it was obvious to everybody." Ms. Ingram introduced Mr. Washington to Mr. Hickman, and Mr. Hickman sold him a sixteenth of an ounce of crack cocaine. Starting around August 1992, Mr. Washington also got crack cocaine from Mr. Norwood, but not directly, because Ms. Ivy made the deliveries. Mr. Norwood, through Ms. Ivy, supplied Mr. Washington with one-half ounce quantities of crack cocaine on two occasions, and one ounce quantities on two or three occasions. Ms. Traylor also delivered one-half ounce quantities to Mr. Washington once or twice. Mr. Washington delivered the money directly to Mr. Norwood once or twice.
Moty Reed Davis testified he began selling crack cocaine in 1991 at age sixteen. Mr. Davis saw Mr. Taylor sell crack cocaine in late 1991 or early 1992. Mr. Taylor and Mr. Davis lived together in late 1992. During that time, Mr. Taylor told Mr. Davis he could get crack cocaine from Mr. Hickman or Richard Ingram. Mr. Davis purchased one-quarter and one-half ounce quantities from Mr. Hickman on three or four occasions. Mr. Davis left Oklahoma City for a while, but returned in April 1993. He began stealing cars to raise enough money to start selling crack cocaine again. Mr. Davis had raised enough money by May 1993 and bought one ounce of crack cocaine from Mr. Hickman. Mr. Davis bought crack cocaine from Mr. Hickman two more times that summer. He also saw Mr. Taylor buy one-half ounce and one ounce quantities of crack cocaine from Mr. Hickman three or four times. Mr. Davis also lent Mr. Taylor his digital scale so he could check the weight of the crack he was buying. Mr. Davis also purchased one ounce of the gasoline crack from Mr. Hickman in the summer of 1993.
Marcus Fuller testified he began selling crack cocaine in January 1992. In September 1992, an individual whose street name was Kid Ice told Mr. Fuller that Mr. Hickman could supply him with crack cocaine. Mr. Fuller and Kid Ice went to Mr. Hickman's house and they each purchased onehalf ounce of crack cocaine from him. The next day Kid Ice and Mr. Fuller went to Mr. Hickman's house again and they each bought another one-half ounce of crack cocaine from him. In early 1993, Mr. Fuller saw Mr. Hickman driving by, flagged him down, and bought another one-half ounce of crack cocaine from him. In May 1993, Mr. Fuller and his half brother Ron Harris bought crack cocaine from Mr. Hickman twice in one day. Mr. Fuller purchased a total of fourteen grams and Mr. Harris purchased one-sixteenth of an ounce. Mr. Harris was killed in a drug deal later that year. Mr. Fuller also purchased one-half ounce of crack cocaine from Ms. Ivy in April or May 1993. Two or three weeks later, Mr. Fuller bought another five grams of crack cocaine from Ms. Ivy.
Nigel Clay began selling crack cocaine supplied by Mr. Hickman in May 1993. Between May 1993 and September 1993, Mr. Hickman supplied up to one-half ounce of crack cocaine to Mr. Clay six or seven times. Mr. Clay saw Mr. Hickman get crack cocaine from his brother Mr. Norwood on more than one occasion while Mr. Norwood was sitting in his car. The quantities ranged from one to three ounces. A couple of times there was an unidentified woman with Mr. Norwood in the car. Mr. Clay also received some of what was referred to as "gasoline crack" in June 1993.
B. The Colombian Connection
Brent Smiley testified he began selling crack cocaine in 1988, when he was eighteen years old. Mr. Smiley got some of his supply from Teresa Griffin in Houston, Texas. Ms. Griffin initially supplied Mr. Smiley with five ounces of crack cocaine at a time, but that amount later increased to quarter-kilograms, half-kilograms and whole kilograms. In September 1991, while Ms. Griffin was in Oklahoma City, Mr. Smiley gave her phone number to Frank Petties, who called her and arranged a meeting between Ms. Griffin and Mr. Norwood. Mr. Smiley made the introduction because he knew Mr. Norwood wanted to buy one-half kilogram of cocaine. Mr. Norwood contacted Ms. Griffin. Ms. Griffin was arrested in October 1991. In November or December 1991, Mr. Norwood told Mr. Smiley he had bought some "fake dope," and he needed "nine ounces, half a kilo, whatever he could get." Mr. Smiley said he "would talk with the Colombians" in Houston "and see what they can do." A Mr. Lopez "sent another Colombian" from Houston to Oklahoma City to retrieve some drugs belonging to Carlos Gonzalez, who had recently been arrested, and Mr. Smiley bought nine ounces of Mr. Gonzalez's cocaine. Mr. Smiley did not sell any of this cocaine to Mr. Norwood.
In January 1992, Mr. Smiley began making trips to Houston to pick up cocaine powder. On February 17, 1992, three days before his twenty-second birthday, Mr. Smiley drove to Houston with Timmy Holloway, William Anthony Tingle, and Robin Johnson, and approximately $45,000 in cash to purchase cocaine. Mr. Smiley returned with a kilogram of cocaine powder, cooked it into crack, and telephoned Mr. Norwood to tell him he had nine ounces for him. When Mr. Norwood drove up to get the crack cocaine, he was in the driver seat, and Mr. Smiley handed it to a woman in the passenger seat. Mr. Smiley later went to Mr. Norwood's house and picked up the $6,500 Mr. Norwood owed for the crack cocaine from an unidentified young woman. Mr. Smiley made another trip to Houston in March 1992. Before he left, Mr. Smiley told Mr. Norwood he thought he could get him one-half kilogram of cocaine. Mr. Smiley was unable to get the one-half kilogram, but supplied Mr. Norwood with another nine ounces of crack cocaine. Mr. Smiley delivered the crack cocaine to the same young woman at Mr. Norwood's house. Mr. Norwood personally gave Mr. Smiley $6500 for the crack cocaine a few days later. When he handed Mr. Smiley the money, Mr. Norwood said he needed more crack cocaine because he was going out of town soon. Mr. Smiley later sold him five ounces of crack cocaine. Mr. Smiley then made a third trip to Houston in March 1992, and brought Mr. Norwood's girlfriend Audrey Holmes. Mr. Smiley brought $34,000 in cash, and purchased one and one-half kilograms of cocaine powder from the Colombians in Houston. One-half kilogram was for Mr. Norwood. Mr. Smiley cooked the cocaine when he returned to Oklahoma City and gave Ms. Holmes eighteen ounces of crack cocaine to bring to Mr. Norwood. At Mr. Norwood's request, Mr. Smiley went to his house and picked up the $12,000 Mr. Norwood owed for the crack cocaine from an unidentified young woman. Mr. Smiley was arrested in April 1992 and has remained in custody ever since. By that time, he had made approximately ten trips from Oklahoma City to Houston to purchase cocaine from the Colombians. Ms. Holmes later delivered five ounces of crack cocaine to Mr. Smiley's brother Charles, of which two and one-half ounces was intended to settle the remainder of Mr. Norwood's debt, and two and one-half ounces were intended as a front to Charles Smiley. Charles Smiley was supposed to pay Ms. Holmes the money he owed Mr. Norwood for the fronted crack cocaine after he sold it. Charles Smiley later explained that Mr. Norwood always used to "have one of his females" deliver drugs for him.
C. Flora Ingram
Richard Ingram's sister, Flora Ingram, provided the most damning testimony against the members of the Norwood/Hickman conspiracy. She testified she began selling crack cocaine in January 1990, shortly after she turned seventeen. In February 1990, she began getting her supply from Mr. Norwood. In the first transaction, Mr. Norwood had his little brother, Mr. Hickman, deliver one-sixteenth of an ounce of crack cocaine to Ms. Ingram. Ms. Ivy was with Mr. Norwood when Ms. Ingram first contacted him, but there is no indication she participated in the transaction. At that time, Mr. Norwood also had a relationship with Ms. Traylor and stored crack cocaine at her apartment. After she sold the first sixteenth of an ounce, Ms. Ingram continued to sell crack cocaine supplied by Mr. Norwood through Mr. Hickman until August or September 1990. Ms. Ivy also made one delivery of one-sixteenth of an ounce of crack cocaine to Ms. Ingram Between January and April 1990, Ms. Ingram and Mr. Hickman worked together to sell three or four ounces of crack cocaine per day, at a profit of $4,000 per day. Mr. Norwood supplied almost all of the crack cocaine they sold, and Mr. Hickman delivered the money either to Mr. Norwood or Ms. Ivy. Ms. Ingram saw Ms. Ivy deal crack cocaine supplied by Mr. Norwood on at least four occasions.
Between May and July 1990, Ms. Ingram and Mr. Hickman lived with Mr. Norwood and Ms. Ivy and continued to sell crack cocaine supplied by Mr. Norwood. During this time, Ms. Ingram saw Mr. Norwood cook crack cocaine twice. She also learned Mr. Norwood stored crack cocaine in his backyard, in a shed, and in a tree. On one occasion, Mr. Norwood cooked six or seven ounces of cocaine Ms. Ivy had obtained and Ms. Ivy, Mr. Hickman, and Ms. Ingram sold it. Between late August and October 1990, Ms. Ingram and Mr. Hickman worked together to sell one ounce of crack cocaine per day. Between October 1990 and January 1991, Ms. Ingram sold crack cocaine only once, and instead supported herself by stealing clothing. Mr. Hickman continued to sell crack cocaine during this time, but he got the cocaine from an individual named Peedy, because Mr. Norwood had run out. Ms. Ingram bought one-half ounce of crack cocaine from Mr. Norwood in February 1991. Mr. Norwood began supplying Mr. Hickman with one or two ounces of crack cocaine per day starting in March or April 1991. In May 1991, Ms. Ingram resumed selling approximately one ounce of crack cocaine per day, supplied by Mr. Norwood.
Ms. Ingram testified Charles McCloud was supplying Mr. Norwood with crack cocaine during the late summer or early fall of 1991 from California, and that Audrey Holmes and Ms. Ivy went to California once that summer to get eighteen ounces of cocaine from Mr. McCloud and bring it back to Mr. Norwood in Oklahoma City. Ms. Ingram and Mr. Hickman sold nine ounces of crack cocaine out of that shipment. Mr. McCloud also sent Mr. Norwood another shipment of three kilograms of cocaine, and Ms. Ingram and Mr. Hickman distributed half of that shipment as well. Mr. Norwood also purchased nine ounces of cocaine powder from a person named Roy, cooked it at Ms. Traylor's house, and gave Ms. Ingram and Mr. Hickman half to distribute. Ms. Traylor helped weigh the crack cocaine. Two weeks later, Mr. Norwood purchased another eighteen ounces of cocaine powder from Roy, cooked it at Ms. Ivy's house, and gave Ms. Ingram and Mr. Hickman half to sell. Ms. Ivy and Mr. Hickman weighed and bagged the crack cocaine.
Ms. Ingram gave birth to a son in September 1991, but continued to sell crack cocaine. Between September and December 1991, Ms. Traylor delivered crack cocaine to Ms. Ingram twice, once one-half ounce and the other one and one-half ounces. During this period, Nathaniel Washington and Richard Ingram were also selling crack cocaine for Sam Norwood. Ms. Ingram moved to a new house in Kerr Village in November 1991, but continued to sell crack cocaine with Mr. Hickman. Between November 1991 and March 1992, Ms. Ingram got most of her crack cocaine from Ken Roselle, but she did receive one-half ounce from Mr. Norwood in February 1992. The day Ms. Ingram picked up the crack cocaine from Mr. Norwood's house, he was planning a trip to Dallas. Ms. Ivy also delivered two ounces of crack cocaine to Mr. Hickman in March or April 1992. Mr. Hickman and Ms. Ingram continued to sell crack cocaine, mostly obtained from a source other than Mr. Norwood, until June 1992, when she went to jail for larceny. Ms. Ingram was released in November 1992, and began selling crack cocaine again three months later. During those three months, Ms. Ingram lived with Mr. Hickman, and he and Ms. Ivy were selling crack cocaine for Mr. Norwood.
In June 1993, Mr. Norwood was getting his supply from a man named Ken. Ms. Ingram saw Ken at Mr. Norwood's house on at least one occasion. The cocaine Ken supplied tasted like gasoline, and was sometimes referred to during trial as the "gasoline crack." Ms. Ingram, Mr. Hickman, and Nathaniel Washington distributed the gasoline crack for Mr. Norwood during this period. Mr. Hickman redistributed one-half and one ounce quantities of the gasoline crack to Mr. Chitwood, and individuals with the street names Bullet, Moe, and Snook. Mr. Hickman also distributed one-half ounce of crack cocaine to Mr. Taylor, and Ms. Ingram saw another one-half ounce of crack cocaine divided into sixteenth-ounce packets at Mr. Taylor's house. Mr. Taylor sold one of the sixteenth-ounce packets while Ms. Ingram was at his house.
D. The Investigation and the Controlled Buys
FBI Special Agent John Hersley interviewed Ms. Ivy on January 11 and 14, 1993. Ms. Ivy told him she lived with Mr. Norwood at one of his two residences, 3113 Southwest 72nd Street, and had two children by him. She also said that Audrey Holmes, "another one of Sam Norwood's girlfriends," was involved in transporting crack cocaine from California to Oklahoma City to supply Mr. Norwood. His investigation also revealed that Mr. Norwood had Ms. Holmes and his other "lady friends," including Ms. Ivy and Ms. Traylor, sell crack cocaine for him so he would not "be linked up directly with the cocaine." In December 1992, Ms. Holmes, Mr. McCloud, and three other individuals brought between one-half and one kilo of crack cocaine from California to Oklahoma City in a green van. Agent Hersley learned from another informant that Mr. Norwood had arranged the transaction and had directed Ms. Holmes to retrieve the crack cocaine from Mr. McCloud. Ms. Ivy later saw two ounces of the crack cocaine in Ms. Holmes' kitchen. Ms. Ivy told Agent Hersley, and Ms. Ingram testified during trial, that the police arrested Ms. Holmes before she had distributed all of the crack she had brought from California. The arrest scared Mr. Norwood because he was afraid Ms. Holmes would turn him in to the police. At the time they arrested Ms. Holmes, the police served search warrants on both Ms. Holmes' and Ms. Ivy's residences and discovered crack cocaine in both locations. Ms. Ivy later admitted the eighth-ounce of crack cocaine found in her residence was hers. She stated Ms. Holmes had introduced her to an associate of Mr. McCloud in Oklahoma City, and that Mr. McCloud's associate fronted her one-half ounce of crack cocaine, worth $500, for $200. The eighth-ounce found in her residence was the portion of the original half-ounce she had not yet distributed. Ms. Ivy intended to use the money she received selling the half-ounce of crack cocaine to purchase part of the crack cocaine Ms. Holmes and Mr. McCloud brought from California. During his investigation, Agent Hersley also discovered Ms. Ivy helped reweigh and repackage crack cocaine for Mr. Norwood. Ms. Ingram testified that Mr. Norwood began selling crack cocaine again in large quantities in June 1993, after Ms. Holmes was sentenced.
On July 30, 1993, Agent Hersley arranged for Ms. Ingram's sister, Angela England, to make a controlled buy from Mr. Hickman in the Kerr Village area of Oklahoma City. Agent Hersley gave Ms. England a tape recorder and $300 to make the purchase. When Ms. England returned, she gave Agent Hersley one-quarter ounce of crack cocaine and said she had purchased it from Mr. Hickman. Ms. England also gave Agent Hersley a the tape recording of the transaction, but it was essentially unintelligible. Ms. England made another controlled buy from Mr. Hickman on August 4, 1993. This time Ms. England carried a transmitter, and Agent Hersley was able to monitor her conversation with Mr. Hickman. She purchased one-half ounce of crack cocaine from Mr. Hickman for $500. Mr. Hickman went around the corner to pick up the crack cocaine at Kenny Taylor's house. Ms. England made a third controlled buy from Mr. Hickman on August 16, 1993, and again carried a recorder and transmitter. Mr. Hickman sold her one-half ounce of crack cocaine for $500, and three-sixteenths of an ounce for $100.
On August 20, 1993, a few days after Ms. England's third controlled buy, Ms. Ingram telephoned Agent Hersley and told him Mr. Hickman was at Ms. Traylor's and Mr. Norwood's house at 2321 South Kate Avenue to pick up two ounces of crack cocaine. Agent Hersley and other law enforcement officers went to Mr. Norwood's Kate Avenue house and saw Mr. Hickman's car parked in the driveway. The officers left Mr. Norwood's house for a short time, and when they returned Mr. Hickman's car was gone. Officers spotted Mr. Hickman's car parked in front of a residence in Kerr Village. When Agent Hersley arrived, Mr. Hickman had been placed under arrest. Officers found $950 in cash and two ounces of crack cocaine inside the residence. The cash was in a toolbox belonging to the owner of the house, Mr. Burris, a man in his late seventies whom Mr. Hickman and his brother Mr. Norwood affectionately referred to as "grandpa." Mr. Burris testified the cash belonged to Mr. Hickman. The crack cocaine had been stuffed under a cushion of a couch inside the residence. Before the police came, Mr. Hickman had sat down on the couch to watch television. He had only been there two or three minutes and not been anywhere else in the house. The crack cocaine was wrapped in a blue paper towel. Agent Hersley found an identical roll of blue paper towels inside Mr. Hickman's car. Ms. Ingram testified Mr. Hickman used to wrap crack cocaine in a blue napkin when he carried it in his car. Mr. Burris testified the crack cocaine belonged to Mr. Hickman. There were no blue paper towels in the residence, other than the one used to wrap the crack cocaine. The officers took Mr. Hickman to the Oklahoma City Police station and gave him a Miranda1 warning. After Mr. Hickman waived his rights, Agent Hersley and two other officers interviewed him for approximately thirty minutes. Mr. Hickman admitted the car was his and that he had been inside the residence, but stated he did not know anything about the cash and crack cocaine found inside.
On August 25, 1993, a few days after Mr. Hickman's arrest, Ms. Ingram made a controlled buy from Mr. Norwood. While wearing a recorder and transmitter, she entered Mr. Norwood's Kate Avenue house, gave him $900, and received two ounces of crack cocaine. The usual price for two ounces of crack cocaine is $2000, but Agent Hersley wanted to see if Mr. Norwood would front two ounces of cocaine to Ms. Ingram with the promise she would pay him after she sold it. Ms. Traylor, who also resided at the Kate Street house, retrieved the crack cocaine from its hiding place on Mr. Norwood's orders. Vivian Henderson also lived at the Kate Street house, but was not present. Ms. Henderson used to work as a prostitute to earn money to buy crack cocaine from Ms. Traylor. Mr. Norwood told Ms. Ingram to remind her brother Richard Ingram he owed Mr. Norwood $400 for crack cocaine. Ms. Ingram made a second controlled buy on August 26, 1993, at Mr. Norwood's Kate Avenue house. She paid Mr. Norwood the $1,100 she owed him and Mr. Norwood fronted her one ounce of crack cocaine, worth $1,000, for only $500. Ms. Traylor and Mr. Chitwood were present during the transaction. Mr. Norwood again had Ms. Traylor retrieve the crack cocaine for Ms. Ingram and told Ms. Ingram he was down to his last ounce and one-half. On August 27, 1993, Ms. Ingram telephoned Mr. Norwood from an FBI office and asked if he had any crack cocaine, and Mr. Norwood responded "Not yet." The FBI recorded their telephone conversation. On August 28, 1993, Ms. Ingram made a third controlled buy from Mr. Norwood at his Kate Avenue house. Ms. Ingram paid Mr. Norwood the $500 she owed him and offered to give him another $500 if he would front her one ounce, or $1000 worth, of crack cocaine. Mr. Norwood agreed and had Ms. Traylor retrieve an ounce of crack cocaine for Ms. Ingram. Ms. Traylor drove to another location in Mr. Norwood's car and returned five minutes later with the crack cocaine. Ms. Ingram later told the FBI Mr. Hickman was responsible for distributing more than twenty kilograms of crack cocaine since early 1990. Ms. Ingram's uncle, Billie England, testified he saw Mr. Hickman supply Ms. Ingram with one-half ounce quantities of crack cocaine "[m]ore [times] than I can count," and when asked how many times Mr. Norwood provided one-half ounce or more of crack cocaine to Ms. Ingram and Mr. Hickman, Mr. England responded "[m]ore than I can count." Mr. England used to help Ms. Ingram, Mr. Hickman, Mr. Taylor, Mr. Chitwood, Moty Davis, Nathaniel Washington, and individuals with the street names Yellow and Bullet get smokers to buy from them in exchange for crack cocaine to feed his habit. Mr. England also confirmed testimony from other witnesses that Ms. Ivy and Ms. Traylor used to collect drug money for Mr. Norwood.
FBI Special Agent Matt Lottspeich and other law enforcement officers executed a search warrant on the Kate Street house and arrested Ms. Henderson and Ms. Ingram on the evening of August 28, 1993. The officers arrested Ms. Traylor later that evening. The officers found $1000 in cash and 10.5 grams of crack cocaine in Ms. Traylor's bedroom. They arrested Mr. Norwood on August 29, 1993. During an interview on the day of his arrest, Mr. Norwood told Agent Hersley he was not dealing in crack cocaine at that time, but that Agent Hersley "should have gotten him back in 1988 when he was really going good." On November 13, 1993, FBI Special Agent Walter Lamar arrested Mr. Taylor at his home. He searched Mr. Taylor, but did not find any drugs on his person. Agent Lamar did not search Mr. Taylor's house. During an interview later that day, Mr. Taylor admitted he had purchased crack cocaine.
E. The Prosecution
On January 4, 1993, a grand jury returned a forty-five-count indictment against Ms. Ivy, Mr. Norwood, Ms. Traylor, Mr. Hickman, Mr. Taylor, Christopher Don Chitwood, Kelly Dwain Brannon, Lee Roy Washington, and Leon Lamont Nelson. Mr. Brannon, Mr. Washington, and Leon Nelson entered guilty pleas, and we have since affirmed Mr. Washington's and Mr. Nelson's convictions and sentences. United States v. Nelson, No. 94-6105, 1995 WL 48057 (10th Cir. Feb. 7, 1995); United States v. Washington, No. 94-6104, 1995 WL 50051 (10th Cir. Feb. 8, 1995),. The six remaining defendants were tried together, and the jury found them guilty as charged on all counts. We have affirmed Mr. Chitwood's conviction and sentence in a separate appeal. United States v. Chitwood, No. 94-6142, 1995 WL 216900 (10th Cir. Apr. 12, 1995).2II. Guilt Issues
A. Discovery Violation
On the day Ms