Opinion ID: 791956
Heading Depth: 4
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: The Feasibility of Introducing an Undercover Agent or Informant

Text: 32 Jones argues that the government exaggerated the difficulty of introducing an undercover agent or a second informant into Small's drug organization. In particular, Jones argues that (1) Wilcox failed to inform the court that the confidential informant had known Small for several years prior to the investigation and therefore could have been used to introduce an undercover agent or informant to Small; and (2) the affidavit did not inform the court that African-American officers could have been used to infiltrate Small's organization. Jones contends that these alleged omissions undermine the government's showing of necessity because they falsely imply that traditional investigative techniques would have been ineffective. 33 In his first affidavit, Wilcox stated that he had considered the possibility of placing an undercover agent, but rejected this possibility because any evidence obtained would have been duplicative of evidence gathered by the confidential informant. As noted by the district court, [d]espite [the informant's] dealings with the inner circle of Defendant Small's Organization, [she] was not able to describe the full scope of the Organization nor was she able to provide investigators with any knowledge of the Organization's suppliers. Id. at 1181. The government is not required to attempt to introduce other agents or informants in a case where this technique is unlikely to produce any additional evidence. See United States v. Bennett, 219 F.3d 1117, 1122 (9th Cir.2000) (noting that the wiretapping statute does not mandate the indiscriminate pursuit to the bitter end of every non-electronic device ... to a point where the investigation becomes redundant or impractical (quotation omitted)). 34 In addition, the affidavit stated that Small was reluctant to engage in drug transactions with people he did not know, and once became angry when a third party attempted to introduce him to a stranger. According to Wilcox, the informant told him it was common knowledge in the dope community that if you purchase narcotics from Small and want to continue purchasing narcotics from him you don't bring anyone new to meet with him. For this reason, when the government asked the confidential informant whether she would be willing to introduce an undercover agent or additional informant to Small, she refused to do so. Jones has failed to establish that the identified omissions from the affidavit in any way undermine the government's position that introducing another officer or informant would have been both unnecessary and unreasonably difficult. 35 Jones further argues that the affidavit falsely stated that two members of the conspiracy, Dachaun Davis and Keyonna Davis, could not be flipped because they were Small's children, when in fact they were not his children. The district court addressed this argument and concluded that it was specious. Small, 229 F.Supp.2d at 1198. As noted by the district court, Wilcox informed the judge prior to issuance of the first wiretap order that although Small referred to Dachaun and Keyonna Davis as his son and daughter, he did not specifically know the nature of their relationship with Small. The court further noted that the record is replete with instances where Defendant Small referred to Dachaun and Keyonna Davis as his son and daughter. Id. Jones does not attempt to explain how the district court's findings on this point were clearly erroneous. 36