Opinion ID: 719610
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: The Search of Apartment 4DN.

Text: 20 We also reject Camacho's argument that the search of Apartment 4DN was illegal. It is well settled that a warrantless search does not violate the Fourth Amendment if the authorities have obtained the voluntary consent of a person authorized to grant such consent, United States v. Elliott, 50 F.3d 180, 185 (2d Cir.1995), cert. denied, --- U.S. ----, 116 S.Ct. 715, 133 L.Ed.2d 669 (1996), and that [s]o long as the police do not coerce consent, a search conducted on the basis of consent is not an unreasonable search, United States v. Garcia, 6 F.3d 418, 422 (2d Cir.1995). In the present case, it is clear that if we accept the version of the events described at the suppression hearing by Special Agents Higgins and Gee, then the search of Apartment 4DN was reasonable and consistent with the requirements of the Fourth Amendment. The question on appeal, therefore, is whether the district court erred in crediting Higgins and Gee's version of the events. 21 In reviewing the denial of a motion to suppress following an evidentiary hearing, we will uphold the district court's factual findings unless they are clearly erroneous. See United States v. Hernandez, 5 F.3d 628, 632 (2d Cir.1993). We view the evidence presented at the hearing in the light most favorable to the government. See id. at 633. We review de novo the district court's ultimate legal determinations. Ornelas v. United States, --- U.S ----,---- - ----, 116 S.Ct. 1657, 1662-63, 134 L.Ed.2d 911 (1996). 22 We are satisfied that there was no clear error here, as we have no basis for second-guessing the district court's assessment of the witnesses' credibility. See United States v. Trzaska, 859 F.2d 1118, 1121 (2d Cir.1988), cert. denied, 493 U.S. 839, 110 S.Ct. 123, 107 L.Ed.2d 84 (1989). The district court was confronted with two differing accounts regarding whether Camacho consented to the search, was free to reject [the defendant's] testimony and accept the agent[s'], and did so. United States v. Villegas, 928 F.2d 512, 518 (2d Cir.), cert. denied, 502 U.S. 843, 112 S.Ct. 137, 116 L.Ed.2d 104 (1991). 23 Our conclusion that the search was consensual moots Rodriguez and Feliciano's Fourth Amendment challenge to it. Thus, we need not review the district court's conclusion that Rodriguez and Feliciano had no objectively reasonable expectation of privacy in Apartment 4DN and therefore lacked standing to challenge the lawfulness of the search at that location. 24