Opinion ID: 793369
Heading Depth: 6
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: the character of the crime (chance encounter in the night or regenerating conspiracy?)

Text: 92 (2) the criminal (nomadic or entrenched?) (3) the thing to be seized (perishable and easily transferrable or of enduring utility to its holder?) 93 (4) the place to be searched (mere criminal forum of convenience or secure operational base?). 94 Id. (quoting Andresen v. State, 24 Md.App. 128, 331 A.2d 78, 106 (Md.Ct. Spec.App.1975)). 95 As explained above, the affidavit set forth sufficient probable cause with respect to bank fraud in 1999 but not with respect to any subsequent year. The question then becomes whether this probable cause had become stale, as the magistrate issued the warrant in 2002. By applying the factors listed above, we find that the probable cause was not stale when the magistrate issued the warrant. 96
97 The bank fraud alleged in the affidavit was not a one-time occurrence but was rather a systematic transfer of funds between accounts held by Defendants. According to the FBI analysis for the period of June 1, 1999 to August 31, 1999, Defendant Michel Abboud alone was the signer of 1,276 checks involved in the check kite, with a total value of about $89 million. 98 The Court has found that [e]vidence of ongoing criminal activity will generally defeat a claim of staleness. United States v. Greene, 250 F.3d 471, 481 (6th Cir.2001). In Greene, the magistrate issued a search warrant on January 8, 1999. Id. at 475. The search warrant was based on information supplied by an informant, who had last purchased narcotics at the defendant's house in February 1997; however, he had purchased narcotics at least twelve times at the defendant's house. Id. at 476. The Court found that the continuous and ongoing nature of the illegal activity was a sufficient answer to the defendant's claim of staleness. Id. at 481. 99 Likewise, in this case, the affidavit stated that Defendant Michel Abboud engaged in bank fraud numerous times during a three-month period in 1999. While the affidavit did not list sufficient probable cause for any time after 1999, so as to establish a continuous criminal enterprise from 1999 to the issuance of the warrant in 2002, this Court's jurisprudence suggests that ongoing criminal activity at a given time may be sufficient to defeat a claim of staleness. See id. at 481; see also United States v. Canan, 48 F.3d 954, 959 (6th Cir.1995) (finding ongoing activity at the defendant's house four years prior to the issuance of the search warrant was sufficient to defeat a claim of staleness). 100
101 The affidavit supported the fact that Defendant was entrenched. Defendant owned multiple convenience stores in the Cleveland area. Defendant owned a home in the area. There was no indication that Defendant moved from place to place, so as to decrease the probability of finding evidence at a given location. 102
103 The search warrant sought almost exclusively business and personal financial records from Defendant. This Court has found that old business records could reasonably be expected to be found at the defendant's home or place of business. United States v. McManus, 719 F.2d 1395, 1400-01 (6th Cir.1983). In McManus, the magistrate issued a search warrant on January 7, 1980 in connection with tax violations for the years 1977, 1978, and 1979. In finding that the warrant was not stale, the Court stated, It certainly would be reasonable for a magistrate to conclude that on January 7, 1980, defendant's business records for the years 1977, 1978, and 1979 would be found at either his place of business or his residence. ... `[Business records] are ... the sort which could be reasonably expected to be kept there for long periods of time. ' Id. at 1401 (quoting United States v. Freeman, 685 F.2d 942, 952 (5th Cir.1982)). 104 This Court has found that business records are a type of evidence that defy claims of staleness. See United States v. Word, 806 F.2d 658, 662 (6th Cir.1986); United States v. Brownderville, No. 98-1374, 1999 WL 618067, at  (6th Cir. Aug. 2, 1999); see also United States v. Singh, 390 F.3d 168, 182 (2d Cir.2004); United States v. Farmer, 370 F.3d 435, 439-40 (4th Cir.2004); United States v. Ninety-Two Thousand Four Hundred Twenty-Two Dollars and Fifty-Seven Cents, 307 F.3d 137, 148 (3d Cir.2002). 105 We agree that in this case, the magistrate was correct in believing that business and financial records with respect to 1999 would still be at Defendant's home or businesses in 2002. As the Third Circuit viewed the situation, where the items to be seized are created for the purpose of preservation, as are business records, the passage of time is ... less significant. Id. 106
107 The affidavit requested the search of Defendant's home and businesses. The bank fraud alleged centered around Defendant's check cashing transactions conducted at these business locations. Furthermore, the affiant stated that business records were usually kept at home. These locations are not mere criminal forum[s] of convenience; but rather, the locations are at the heart of the criminal charge. 108
109 All factors weigh against a claim of staleness. We are especially persuaded by the fact that by nature one keeps business and financial records for extended periods of time. The entire point in creating such records is for preservation. As a result, the warrant was not stale. 110