Opinion ID: 4540186
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Indictment and Motion to Suppress Proceedings

Text: On July 20, 2017, a federal grand jury returned a three-count superseding indictment 12 charging both Mendoza and Valle with possession of firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking crimes, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 924(c)(1)(A) (Count One), and possession with intent to distribute both heroin and crack cocaine, in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1) (Counts Two and Three, respectively).13 12 The original indictment was filed on March 30, 2016. 13Valle entered a straight plea on the second day of his jury trial and was sentenced to eighty-eight months of imprisonment. He filed an appeal, which is pending with this Court. -9- Mendoza moved to suppress all the items seized from Valle's residence and the statements he made to the interviewing agents. 14 He argued that (1) the search warrant lacked the particularity necessary to justify a search of the residence and (2) his statements were involuntary as they were coerced by threats that Colón would be prosecuted. In its opposition, the Government argued that (1) Mendoza did not have standing to challenge the search because he did not have a reasonable expectation of privacy in the dwelling; (2) the warrant was not overly broad and met the particularity requirement; and (3) the confessions were knowing and voluntary. The motion was referred to a U.S. magistrate judge. At the suppression hearings, the magistrate judge heard testimony from Agent Pérez, Agent del Valle, and co-defendants Mendoza and Valle. The magistrate judge ultimately recommended that Mendoza's motion be denied in full. In his report and recommendation, the magistrate judge did not decide whether the affidavit supporting the search warrant provided sufficient probable cause to authorize the search of the residence, instead relying on the good faith exception to uphold the search.15 He 14 Valle also filed a motion to suppress the same day. 15 The magistrate judge also concluded that Mendoza had a reasonable expectation of privacy as an overnight guest and therefore had standing to request suppression. See United States v. Bain, 874 F.3d 1, 13 (1st Cir. 2017). -10- also concluded that Mendoza's verbal and written statements had been made voluntarily as Mendoza's relationship with Colón was too attenuated to make Mendoza vulnerable to succumb to threats of what would happen to her. Mendoza objected to all of the legal findings in the report and recommendation and additionally raised, for the first time, that his right to silence had been violated and therefore his statements should be suppressed. The district court, however, adopted the magistrate judge's recommendation to deny Mendoza's motion to suppress.