Opinion ID: 1086580
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: The Falls Church Robbery

Text: Sometime in 2009 or 2010, Le met and became friendly with Hung T. Ngo. Ngo worked at a seafood restaurant, Jesse Taylor Seafood, in Washington, DC, and disliked a female co-worker. Believing that the woman had an ownership interest in the restaurant and kept business proceeds in her home, Le, Novelli and Ngo planned to rob her. In 3 planning the robbery, Le followed the woman from the restaurant to her Falls Church, Virginia home on several occasions. On April 30, 2010, Novelli persuaded the intended victim’s son, Tai Xuan Le, to open the door to the home, at which point Than Le forced his way into the home. Tahn Le beat Tai Xuan Le in the head with a gun and left him bleeding on the floor. Believing Tai Xuan Le’s sister to be home but unable to find her, Tahn Le and Novelli left the home empty-handed. Tai Xuan Le required hospitalization to treat his extensive head wounds. On February 23, 2011, a grand jury in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania returned an indictment charging Le, Thach Van Nguyen, Buu Huu Truong, and Den Van Nguyen with conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery, 18 U.S.C. § 1951(a), Hobbs Act robbery, 18 U.S.C. § 1951(a), possession of a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, 18 U.S.C. § 924(c), and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1). On November 16, 2011, Le and his co-defendants were charged with the same offenses in a superseding indictment.2 Between August 27, 2012, and October 3, 2012, each of Le’s co-defendants pled guilty. On January 4, 2012, Le, through counsel, filed a motion to dismiss the indictment on speedy trial grounds, which was denied by the District Court on January 6, 2012. On January 6, 2012, the Government filed a motion to admit tape recordings of a conversation that took place between Le and co-conspirator Denise Novelli while Le was 2 The only change between the initial and superseding indictments was the addition of two defendants, Denise Novelli and Sidney Biggs, as co-conspirators in the Hobbs Act conspiracy claim. 4 incarcerated awaiting trial. Le did not file an opposition to the Government’s motion, and the District Court granted the motion on January 16, 2012. Le’s trial began on January 17, 2012. Co-defendants Buu Huu Truong, Thach Van Nguyen, Den Van Nguyen, Teo Van Bui, Hung T. Ngo, and Denise Novelli all testified regarding Le’s participation in the crimes. On January 20, 2012, after a four-day trial, a jury found Le guilty on all four counts.3 On April 23, 2012, Le, through his trial counsel, filed a timely notice of appeal. On May 14, 2012, Le submitted a letter to the District Court, which the Court construed as a motion for appointment of new counsel. In response, Le’s trial counsel filed a motion to withdraw as court appointed counsel, which the District Court granted on May 31, 2012. On August 21, 2012, the District Court issued an Order appointing Michael J. Kelly, Esq. as CJA counsel to represent Le on appeal. On February 22, 2013, Kelly filed a brief pursuant to Anders v. California, supra, and a Motion to Withdraw Representation. In the Anders brief, counsel identified three issues which potentially could have given rise to grounds for appellate relief: (1) whether the evidence was sufficient to establish that the conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery 3 On April 23, 2012, the District Court sentenced Le as follows: (1) on the Hobbs Act conspiracy and robbery charges (counts one and two), Le received 240 months, to be served concurrently, three years supervised release, and restitution in the amount of $112,689.55; (2) on the charge of possession of a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence (count three), Le received 84 months, to be served consecutively to counts one, two and seven, and five years supervised release; and (3) on the charge of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon (count seven), Le received 316 months, to be served concurrently with counts one and two, and five years supervised release. Le’s total sentence amounted to 400 months in prison and ten years supervised release. Le was not charged in counts four, five or six of the indictment, which involved other defendants. 5 and Hobbs Act robbery affected interstate commerce; (2) whether the evidence was sufficient to demonstrate that Le had possession of a firearm during the Bartonsville robbery; and (3) whether the District Court committed procedural error by granting the Government’s request for application of a sentencing enhancement for obstruction of justice pursuant to U.S.S.G. § 3C1.1. Le filed a pro se brief on April 8, 2013, in which he raised three additional issues: (1) whether the District Court erred in admitting a tape recorded conversation between Le and co-conspirator Denise Novelli; (2) whether the evidence adduced at trial was sufficient to support his convictions; and (3) whether the ten-and-a-half month period between his arraignment and commencement of trial violated his right to a speedy trial under the Sixth Amendment and/or the Speedy Trial Act, 18 U.S.C. § 3161.