Opinion ID: 195951
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: the road to arrest

Text: 2 Because the underlying conviction resulted from a guilty plea, we draw the facts from the uncontested portions of the Presentence Investigation Report (PSI Report) and the transcript of the sentencing hearing. 1 See United States v. Garcia, 954 F.2d 12, 14 (1st Cir.1992); United States v. Dietz, 950 F.2d 50, 51 (1st Cir.1991). 3 All the events mentioned, including court proceedings, occurred in 1994 unless otherwise specifically indicated. Early that year, agents of the federal Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) arrested a married couple, Omer and Camille Belle, in the course of a narcotics investigation. The Belles soon began to peal; they told the federal agents that they had purchased kilogram quantities of cocaine from defendant-appellee Fabian Carlos Muniz on a steady basis for two years (most recently in December of 1993), and that Muniz also had made similar sales to at least two other individuals. 4 The Belles agreed to cooperate in a sting operation directed against Muniz. On February 4, Camille Belle called Muniz and informed him that a friend was interested in acquiring three to four kilograms of cocaine. Muniz replied that the quantity was no problem and quoted a price of $23,500 per kilogram. When Camille sought reassurance that the drugs would be forthcoming, Muniz reiterated that as long as they got [the funds], it's not a problem. 5 Later that evening, Omer Belle called and told Muniz that the would-be buyer wanted to purchase five kilograms of cocaine. Muniz scheduled the transaction for the following day, but voiced some uncertainty about whether he could fill the full order in one fell swoop, telling Omer: I don't know if I can get ... as many sets for tomorrow. Asked how many sets (a code word for kilograms of cocaine) he definitely could provide, and when, Muniz replied: Two or three maybe and the rest for the next day. At a subsequent point in the conversation, Omer again inquired about how many kilograms would be delivered the following day, and Muniz responded, Two ... or three maybe, I don't know, I'm not sure. The two men agreed to meet the next afternoon, February 5, at an inn in Sturbridge, Massachusetts. Muniz reaffirmed that although five sets might not be immediately available, he would fill the entire order with reasonable celerity: It could be two or three [kilograms] tomorrow and do the rest the next day. 6 On February 5, the men spoke again by telephone. In this conversation, Muniz emphasized that the customer needed to bring enough money to pay for as many as three sets. At approximately 8:00 p.m. on the same date, Muniz and a confederate, Juan Carlos Villar, met Omer Belle at the appointed place. The trio proceeded to a room where the customer (in reality an undercover agent) waited. Once inside, Muniz handed the agent two kilograms of cocaine. When the agent said, I thought it was three, Muniz replied, No, two today, three tomorrow, and volunteered: If you want three tomorrow, I can bring three tomorrow, no problem. Following a further discussion regarding prices and possible future transactions, Muniz again assured the agent that his sources had promised three for tomorrow, no problem. At that point, law enforcement officers arrested both Muniz and Villar. 2