Opinion ID: 223165
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: St. Louis, 2000

Text: On September 14, 2000, an informant, Damon Campbell, told agents with the St. Louis DEA Drug Task Force about several individuals, including Nichols, who planned to travel to the San Francisco, California, area to purchase heroin. Campbell described the car and advised agents the group planned to leave at approximately 7:00 p.m. that evening. At approximately 7:15 p.m., agents saw the described car in the area predicted by Campbell. Two officers performed a traffic stop after observing the car speeding and changing lanes without signaling. The officers smelled the odor of marijuana coming from the vehicle and immediately arrested the occupants for possession of a controlled substance. Nichols and his co-defendant, Tristin Mitchell, were passengers. Inside the rented vehicle agents found eight small bags of marijuana and, in Nichols’ suitcase, $5,700 in cash. Based upon interviews conducted after the arrest, agents learned Nichols was using an apartment in St. Louis for the purpose of storing and selling heroin. Agents then went to the apartment and spoke with Nichols’ girlfriend, Sheneice Sanders, who leased the apartment and lived there with Nichols. Sanders signed a consent form to search the -3- apartment. Agents found approximately two ounces of “black tar” heroin, two .380 caliber semi-automatic handguns, two boxes of ammunition for the handguns, numerous items associated with the distribution of heroin, and $2,700 in cash. One of the handguns was found in the same dresser drawer as the heroin. A latent fingerprint, later identified as Nichols’ print, was taken from a grinder commonly used to package heroin for distribution. No charges were filed, either in federal court or state court, as a result of this investigation.