Opinion ID: 67038
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: June 2, 2006 Robbery of the Brandon Credit Union

Text: Valerie Lochmer, a teller at the Brandon Credit Union, testified about the June 2, 2006 robbery. The robber was a man wearing a black and red mask, heavy gloves, and camouflage on his neck. The robber carried a gun and threw a bag at her to fill with money. He waived the gun at the bag and motioned with it to tell her to hand it to another teller. The robber left in a white mini-van that was parked outside and was left running while he was inside. Christine Ahrens testified next. Ahrens was outside using an automatic teller machine at the Brandon Credit Union on June 2. Ahrens saw a man covered from head to toe in clothing and carrying a gun enter the Brandon Credit Union. After the robber left, Ahrens followed him shortly and reported the part of the license plate number she could read to the police. Detective Anthony Paladini investigated the license plate number given by Ahrens and determined it was registered to a rental car. 3 2. June 28, 2006 Attempted Robbery of the Lakeland Credit Union On June 28, 2006, Detective Scott Kercher was told by his supervisor to go to the area of Harden Boulevard and Ariana Street in Lakeland, Florida and look for Barriera-Vera. Kercher obtained a driver’s license and photograph of BarrieraVera to have a physical description of him. Kercher went with Detective Brad Grice in an unmarked police car. Kercher and Grice parked in a high school parking lot on the east side of Harden Boulevard and across the street from a Wachovia Bank. The officers had an unobstructed view of Harden Boulevard and the Wachovia Bank from the parking lot. After about an hour, Kercher spotted a white Chrysler mini-van (the “van”) driving south on Harden Boulevard near the Wachovia Bank. The van slowed to a near stop and appeared to be making a right turn on a street that ran beside the Wachovia Bank. As Kercher started to pull out of the school parking lot, the van sped up and continued driving south on Harden Boulevard. Kercher followed the van and observed that the driver was wearing a gray winter knit cap, which was unusual for the summer. Kercher saw that the driver and the van’s license plate number matched the information he had been given for Barriera-Vera. Kercher also testified that Barriera-Vera was driving about ten to fifteen miles per hour below the speed limit and looking in the rearview mirror while Kercher was 4 following him. Kercher called for backup, and the police eventually conducted a traffic stop on Harden Boulevard approximately two miles south of the Wachovia Bank. Barriera-Vera presented a Florida driver’s license with the name Daniel Melendez-Rodriguez. The police asked to search Barriera-Vera’s van. Barriera-Vera consented to the search and told Kercher there was a nine millimeter handgun inside the van. A search of the van revealed, inter alia, an extra license plate, a screwdriver, and a blue duffle bag containing a loaded nine millimeter firearm, gloves, a Tampa Bay Buccaneers sweatshirt and mask, and camouflage body wear. Kercher testified that he went into the van to retrieve Barriera-Vera’s cell phone and saw two hubcaps inside. Kercher thought that was odd because the van did not have any hubcaps on the wheels and observed that changing hubcaps was a common way to change the appearance of a getaway vehicle. 3. Barriera-Vera’s Interview with Police After the June 28, 2006 traffic stop, the police brought Barriera-Vera back to the police station. Barriera-Vera waived his Miranda1 rights, and Detectives Kercher and Grice interviewed him. The government played for the jury an audio recording of the interview. 1 Miranda v. Arizona, 384 U.S. 436, 444, 86 S. Ct. 1602, 1612 (1966). 5 Kercher said to Barriera-Vera, “[L]ike I said we you know got some information and that’s why we ended up stopping you, ok.” Barriera-Vera admitted that he had a loaded nine millimeter firearm in his van and did not have a permit to carry it. Barriera-Vera admitted to possessing all of the other clothing found in his van. Barriera-Vera said he found the duffle bag with some gloves, a mask, and the license plate in it by a hospital where he used to work. When asked what he was doing that day, Barriera-Vera said he was looking for a job agency and was going to go to the mall near where he was pulled over to look for a job. Barriera-Vera said he was fired from his last job because he was “messing around” with his girlfriend too much. Kercher asked Barriera-Vera if he knew why they followed him, and Barriera-Vera said, “Traffic sticker.” Kercher told him, “[W]e had information today about what your, what your travels were gonna be.” Barriera-Vera said he did not know why that would be. Barriera-Vera said he was coming from the mall and was going to the job agency. After the officers pointed out that he was driving toward the mall when they stopped him, Barriera-Vera said he had been to the mall, driven north, and then was driving back that way when he was stopped. Kercher asked Barriera-Vera what he was planning to do with the mask, gun, and gloves that day and this colloquy ensued: 6 Kercher: [I]nformation that we had today was that you were getting ready to go to Wachovia Bank. Barriera-Vera: Wachovia Bank? Kercher: Yeah the bank that you slowed down in front of, on Harden Blvd. Barriera-Vera: Nuh uh, I don’t nothing Wachovia. Kercher: Well that’s exactly, do you remember driving down there in front of Wachovia Bank, on Harden Blvd there? Barriera-Vera: Yeah I went through. Kercher: Why did you, why did you slow down and almost turn on the road there by the bank? Barriera-Vera: I don’t know I passed through um, in front of Winn Dixie, through, through that street, and there was an officer right there, and there was an accident, a truck, a truck with a ah yellow car I think it was, so I passed through there, I never stopped in there. Kercher: No, you slowed down at the driveway at the entrance to where the Wachovia Bank was. Barriera-Vera: Yeah cause the officer was right there, a lady officer. Kercher said it looked like Barriera-Vera drove in front of the Wachovia Bank, slowed down like he was going to turn into the Wachovia Bank’s driveway, but then continued past it. Kercher then asked Barriera-Vera: Kercher: So if we had information that someone was going to a bank today. Barriera-Vera: Mm hmm Kercher: And we got you stopping and slowing down in front of the bank, getting ready to pull in, the same bank we have information about, and you’ve got a um, you’ve got a mask in there, and you’ve got a gun, loaded gun, 9 millimeter, and you’ve got us a pair of [g]loves, and you’ve got an extra tag for 7 your vehicle, um, you’ve got a camouflage net thing to put over top of your head, um, what do you think? Barriera-Vera: I know what it looks like yeah, it looks like I’m gonna do something. Detective Grice showed Barriera-Vera pictures from the surveillance camera from the Brandon Credit Union in the June 2 robbery. The pictures showed the robber wearing clothing similar to that found in Barriera-Vera’s van on June 28. The pictures also showed the robber’s van had the same license plate found in Barriera-Vera’s van on June 28. At first, Barriera-Vera denied that the van was his. Detective Grice said he knew that Barriera-Vera must have been going through some hard times to do something like this and said, “[W]e had the information, that’s why we were sitting there, that’s why we picked you up immediately, when you slowed down, cause you had been staking out that bank today. And we knew that, we had your tag number.” Barriera-Vera admitted that he needed money to help with his and his girlfriend’s debts. The detectives again asked Barriera-Vera what he was planning to do that day, as follows: Kercher: So tell us what’s going on man. You going to the Wachovia today right? Barriera-Vera: Mm hmm Kercher: Where were you gonna go? Barriera-Vera: The same bank like that one. Kercher: Which bank, which, which bank was this? 8 Barriera-Vera: I don’t, Florida Credit Central Unit. ... Kercher: Which one. Grice: There, they got a credit union in Lakeland you’re talking about, is it the one up there on the left hand side? Barriera-Vera: Right, by where the officer was. Grice: Right, the one by Lakeside Villas, the new mall, across the street. Barriera-Vera: No where the Winn-Dixie is. Barriera-Vera said he went in the Lakeland Credit Union (which is by the Winn Dixie) about two weeks ago, took a deposit slip, and left. Grice asked him, “[S]o you just walked in and picked up a deposit slip and left, just kind of looking it over?” and Barriera-Vera said “Yes.” Barriera-Vera said he found all of the things in his van (except for the gun) about two months ago and the only time he used them was in the Brandon Credit Union robbery. The detectives then returned to asking Barriera-Vera about his intentions that day, as follows: Kercher: What was you, what was your intentions today, tell me exactly what your intentions were down there at the bank by the Winn Dixie. Barriera-Vera: Just . . . Kercher: Well you had all the stuff, you were gonna, you were gonna carry out the robbery today? Barriera-Vera: Well it was, it was always in my van. Kercher: Huh? Barriera-Vera: It was always in my van. Kercher: Ok. Grice: But you had it with you when you were there, were 9 you planning if everything looked right you were gonna do it today? Barriera-Vera: I don’t know, if I did, if I feel like doing it. Kercher: You were just thinking about it, not sure if you were gonna do it or not. ... Barriera-Vera: Yeah. Barriera-Vera explained that he got $6,700 from the Brandon Credit Union robbery. He and his girlfriend had spent it all to pay rent, bills, and traffic tickets. The detectives asked Barriera-Vera about his girlfriend’s reaction to the robbery, as follows: Kercher: What did she say when you told her you robbed a bank and you brought all this money home? Barriera-Vera: She got scared. Kercher: She got scared? Grice: Did she know you were gonna come try one today? Or that you were thinking about doing it again? Barriera-Vera: I tell her but I say I might just get a job because. Kercher: You told her you. Barriera-Vera: I have a . . . Grice: You told her you may do it again, or you might get a job? Barriera-Vera: Yeah I told her I might just get a job because I don’t think I can do it again. Grice: Ok Barriera-Vera: Cause I tell her one time you get lucky but two I don’t think so. Barriera-Vera eventually admitted his real name and told them he had purchased identification papers from another man with good credit. The detectives asked Barriera-Vera to describe the Brandon Credit Union robbery. Barriera-Vera 10 said he tried to go through with the robbery for months and every time he got scared and left. His girlfriend made him feel bad about it, so he finally went through with it. Barriera-Vera stated that he parked and looked around first to make sure there were not any kids in danger. Barriera-Vera said, “I was nervous and I’m scared but I just asked them for the money and I just tell I was not here to harm nobody, I just need the money and that’s it. I tell them sorry and everything I just walk away.” During that robbery, Barriera-Vera used the blue duffle bag found in his van and threw it at the tellers and told them to fill it up. Barriera-Vera then left, drove back to the hospital where he used to work, and threw away all the clothes he wore in the robbery, except for the mask and gloves. He left the van parked with the money inside and rode away on his bike. His girlfriend eventually picked him up and he threw away the bike. The two of them retrieved the van and the money the next day. After the government played the recording of Barriera-Vera’s interview, Kercher explained that the Lakeland Credit Union was in a shopping plaza with a Winn Dixie that is just north of the Wachovia Bank on the other side of an intersection. Kercher explained that Barriera-Vera could have reached the Lakeland Credit Union by making a right turn on the road beside the Wachovia bank where he slowed down, making another immediate right turn on a road that 11 goes behind the Wachovia Bank, and then driving north on that road to the shopping plaza with the Lakeland Credit Union. Kercher testified that he could not see the shopping center with the Lakeland Credit Union from where he was parked in the school parking lot. D. Jury Verdict, Acquittal Ruling, and Sentencing At the close of the government’s case, Barriera-Vera moved for a judgment of acquittal on Counts III and IV, the counts related to the attempted robbery. The district court reserved its ruling on the motion. The jury found Barriera-Vera guilty of all four counts. After the jury’s verdict, the district court granted Barriera-Vera’s motion for judgment of acquittal on Counts III and IV. The district court stated that the case was a “close call” and that it had not found a case from this Court with similar facts. The district court acknowledged that the jury had found Barriera-Vera guilty of Counts III and IV, but determined that the evidence was insufficient to convict Barriera-Vera on these counts. The district court sentenced Barriera-Vera to 141 months’ imprisonment for Counts I and II. The government appeals the district court’s decision to grant Barriera-Vera a judgment of acquittal on Counts III and IV. Barriera-Vera cross-appeals that he is entitled to a new trial on Counts III and IV if this Court reverses the district court’s 12 acquittal decision.