Opinion ID: 2809264
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Targeting Webb

Text: According to Lucas’s DEA Report of Investigation (DEA-6 report), the Webb drug buy was set up in a recorded phone call between Bray and Webb on October 13, 2005. In the recorded call, titled DEA Exhibit N-17 (N-17 recording), the two spoke about selling cars. At one point, the call transcript shows that Webb said that he entered into an automobile transaction for $1000 “and the H.” In 2010, Webb clarified that “H” was a mis-transcription for “eighth,” which was a unit of measurement for drugs that he had sold to an unrelated party in the past. Law-enforcement officers did not recognize the error or its meaning at the time. The recorded conversation contained no other references to drugs. Towards the end of the call, Bray stated that he would have “a couple stacks tomorrow” for Webb. Lucas reported that “‘two stacks’ tomorrow” was “code for $2000 to purchase crack.” Webb admits to having this conversation with Bray. However, he disputes that “a couple stacks” referred to drug-buy money and that the conversation took place on October 13. The DEA searched phone records but was unable to find evidence of a call between Webb and any phone number that was associated with Bray on October 13. Bray also denied that the call occurred on October 13 in an interview with OIG investigators. At approximately 4:00 PM on October 14, 2005, Lucas, Cross, Metcalf, Mayer, and Verhiley accompanied Bray to a controlled drug buy at a Mansfield gas station with an individual Bray falsely identified as Webb. Lucas drove to the gas station where Bray awaited him in a car with tinted windows. The other officers followed in separate cars and provided surveillance. Lucas got into the back seat of Bray’s car. While in Bray’s car, Bray introduced to Lucas the person sitting in the passenger seat as “Josh,” i.e., Joshawa Webb. In fact, “Josh” was Jeremiah Conrad. Bray testified that he selected Conrad to act as Webb’s stand-in because they were similar in appearance—both were white males with shaved heads and visible tattoos. However, whereas Webb was 6’3” tall and weighed 260 pounds, Conrad was only 5’9” tall and, as Bray testified, was not “husky” or “stocky” like Webb. Conrad also did not have missing teeth and did not wear an earring as Webb did. Conrad testified that his tattoos, which included a “FTW” tattoo on the right side of his neck and a Chinese character on the left side of his neck, could not have been mistaken for the “bizarre” tattoos that Webb had. Webb alleges that Mayer Nos. 14-3443/3444 Webb, et al. v. United States, et al. Page 6 shot a videotape of the transaction, which has since disappeared, that included a clear shot of Conrad through the front windshield. Webb’s Br. at 15. Bray stated in an early interview with OIG investigators that he watched this video at a later time with Lucas, Metcalf, and Mayer, and that Metcalf expressed skepticism that the person in Bray’s passenger seat was Webb but that Lucas shut Metcalf down. Lucas’s DEA-6 report does not mention the videotape, but Lucas later blamed Mayer for the missing videotape. The transaction was captured on an audio recording device that Lucas wore while in Bray’s car. This recording was titled DEA Exhibit N-18 (N-18 recording). Three forensic experts have concluded that someone had tampered with the N-18 recording. After the deal ended, Lucas viewed a photograph of Webb and confirmed that the person he met in the car was in fact Webb. On the sole basis of Lucas’s report, an Assistant United States Attorney brought charges against Webb. Lucas testified against Webb before a grand jury on November 8, 2005: October 14, 2005 Joshawa Webb, another one of their guys that was involved out there, dealing with a lot of—he was the connection to a lot of the white guys that were buying drugs. I was introduced to Joshawa Webb. I met him in a parking lot. He had several contacts with the police before. He was real careful on the phone. I had to go meet him, do the deal. We didn’t have—the contact before would say we’ve got two stacks. A stack is $1,000. I met him with the informant, got in the back seat of the car, he pulled out 85.4 gross grams of crack cocaine, was 2–and– a–half ounces. I think it weighed 63 grams, something like that when I weighed it out. He pulled it out of his pocket, pulled out the scale, weighed it. Turned around, weighed it on the center console, I gave him I think it was 2000 or $2,500 that day I bought from Joshawa Webb on October 14, 2005. Webb, 2013 WL 1303776, at . On the basis of this testimony, the grand jury returned an indictment against Webb for drug-related offenses on November 9, 2005. Lucas and two other police officers arrested Webb on the same day.